}Yes, Keurig pods have chemicals. The FDA has approved some of these chemicals for use in food packaging, but others are of concern. Some of the concerns center on possible health effects from eating or drinking foods or beverages that contain these chemicals. Other concerns involve environmental contamination from the disposal of used Keurig pods.
The FDA has approved several chemicals for use in food contact materials, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP). PET is used to make the plastic film that forms the outside layer of Keurig pods. PP is used to make the filter material inside Keurig pods. Both PET and PP are considered safe for food contact by the FDA.
Some consumer groups have raised concerns about other chemicals that may be present in Keurig pods. One group, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), has petitioned the FDA to ban three chemicals – ethyl acrylate, methylene chloride, and vinyl chloride – from use in food packaging due to their potential health effects. BCPP cites studies linking each of these chemicals to cancer in animals as well as possible links to cancer in humans.
Another consumer group, Moms Across America (MAA), has tested Keurig pods for the presence of glyphosate, a herbicide that is commonly used on crops genetically engineered to be resistant to it. MAA found glyphosate in all 11 varieties of Keurig pod coffee they tested. Glyphosate has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
In addition to potential health effects from consuming foods or beverages packaged in containers made with certainchemicals, there are also environmental concerns associated with disposing of usedKeurig pods . MostKeurigrpodscontainaluminumcoffeemachinepodsfilter which can be recycled; however,theplasticportionofthepodistypicallymadefrompolystyrene(PS)orPETandcannotberecycledinmostmunicipalitiesintheUStoday . As a result,usedKeurigpodsmay end upinlandfillswheretheydecomposeandreleaseharmfulchemicalsintoourenvironment .