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MUNCHIE boxes are at the centre of health fears – and it’s nothing to do with the contents.

Chemicals used in some takeaway packaging have been linked to cancer. And that could be bad news for fans of Scotland’s latest fast-food craze, which has already been labelled a heart attack in a box because of the calorie-laden contents.

Authorities in the US have banned chemicals that are used in many pizza boxes over there because they may be harmful to health.

The chemicals are used in a grease-resistant coating that stops boxes going soggy.

Munchie boxes in Scotland, which contain a selection of fast-food favourites including kebab meat, chips and cheese, are usually served in pizza boxes.

They have become popular as late-night snacks. And there is now a morning version packed with typical Scottish breakfast items.

The compounds at the centre of the scare are called perfluoroalkyl ethyl, also known as perfluorochemicals (PFCs).

A statement from the US Food and Drug Administration said they were “proposing that we amend our food additive regulation to no longer provide for the use of three specific perfluoroalkyl ethyl containing food-contact substances (FCSs) as oil and water repellants for paper and paperboard for use in contact with aqueous and fatty foods.”

That means food cannot be sold in the States if it has been in contact with boxes treated with the food contact substances (FCSs).

In pizza boxes, the dangerous coating is used at the bottom.

There are concerns the chemicals could be absorbed by food and then eaten. The degree of risk is small.

Watchdogs Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said they were aware of the US ban. They said rules about food packaging in Scotland are covered by European laws.

If Scotland decided to change the rules, they would have to make their own arrangements to do so.

An FSS spokesman said: “There is no specific European legislation on the chemicals that can be used in paper board, but suppliers of such materials need to demonstrate that it is compliant and it is safe.

“Any pizza boxes used in Scotland must comply.”

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Sam Turktas, co-owner of one of the UK’s biggest pizza box manufacturers TK Packaging, said his firm didn’t need to use the greaseproof chemicals.

He added: “We use corrugated recycled paper which is strong enough so that you don’t need any greaseproof chemicals. Others might use them. Boxes are broadly the same in the UK and abroad.”

Chemistry researcher Jamie McIntyre, 25, from Glasgow, said: “The key would be how they tested leaching of the compounds from pizza boxes into the pizzas.

“The question is how much actually transfers from the box to the pizza to the consumer. The larger the compounds are, the longer they tend to stay inside the body if they are consumed.

“The banned compounds act very well as greaseproof agents.

“By their standards, the US Food and Drug Administration have determined that there is sufficient evidence to suggest they are harmful if consumed.”

In November, a new gut-busting all-day breakfast munchie box triggered a greed stampede.

Cafe Number 10 in Ayr was swamped with customers eager to get the boxes, which are packed with sausages, haggis, black pudding, potato scones, fried bread, scrambled eggs and beans.

Cafe owner Jacqui MacNaughton, 53, said: “It’s hard to say what the knock-on effect of a ban on pizza boxes will have for the beloved munchie box. We line ours with greaseproof paper on the bottom so that would stop anything touching the box anyway.”

The banned substances are in a class of chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and related polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have already come under fire.

The chemicals are also used in some microwave popcorn bags, sandwich wrappers and other food packaging.

Chemical in common use

PerfluorOCHEMICALS (PFCs) are a family of fluorine-containing chemicals with properties to make materials stain and stick-resistant.

Although the chemicals have been used since the 1950s in familiar products, they’ve been subjected to little government testing.

They have been used in a wide array of consumer products and food packaging.

People can avoid exposure by limiting use of products containing PFCs.

As well as fast-food packaging, the chemicals are used in stain treatments for carpets and furniture.

Other products that may be treated include shoes, luggage, and camping and sporting equipment.

PFCs can also be found in some dental floss and cosmetics, including nail polish, eye make-up and face cream.