Ahead of the new year, consumers nationwide were hit with several food recalls linked to E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella outbreaks. Last September, a deadly listeria outbreak concerning sliced deli meats forced Boar’s Head to indefinitely shut down its plant in Jarratt, Virginia. In November, bagged carrots sold at Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Wegmans and other retailers were recalled following a deadly E. coli outbreak. And as of recently, Marketside Broccoli Florets sold at Walmart were recalled due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

Unfortunately for consumers, bacteria aren’t the only things plaguing their foods. A recent study by PlasticList, an independent research group, found that plastic contamination is quite rampant in the foods we eat.

Per Newsweek, PlasticList tested nearly 300 food products — from distilled water and baby food to hamburgers and store-bought rice — and found high levels of phthalates, a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and durable. The chemicals were especially high in fast food menu items, including Burger King's chicken nuggets and Wendy's hamburgers.

Surprisingly, fast-casual chains that pride themselves on serving higher quality and “healthier” options had exceptionally high amounts of plastic contamination. Shake Shack’s cheeseburger was one of the most contaminated fast foods on the list, along with Sweetgreen's Chicken Pesto Parm Salad.

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Additionally, organic food products contained high levels of plastic contamination. Same with everyday staples, like Whole Foods Organic Long Grain White Rice, Whole Foods Organic Pasta Spaghetti, Whole Foods Boneless Beef Ribeye Steak (Pasture Raised) and Whole Foods Boneless Beef Ribeye Steak (Grass Fed).

When it came to beverages, the highest levels of phthalates were found in McDonald's Vanilla Shake (

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