Peanut Butter, Cold Cuts Contain Flame Retardant

Sure, mothers everywhere (OK, and college kids) love peanut butter, but it looks like the last-minute snack staple may soon be avoided everywhere.

A new survey in the Environmental Health Perspectives shows that peanut butter (along with cold cuts, turkey, fish, and beef) actually contains amounts of Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a known flame retardant.

So what is HBCD? According to the study, HBCD is often used in "polystyrene foams in thermal insulation and electrical equipment." Yum.

Luckily, the study only found HBCD in trace amounts (the Huffington Post reports the levels are far below what the government deems dangerous). The bad news? Sources say the chemical has already been found in umbilical cord blood.

The FDA was not available for comment.