GLOBAL – Scientific data compiled in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology shows that 3,601 food contact chemicals (FCCs), making up 25% of known FCCs, leach into food during packaging process.
The research reveals that chemicals used in food packaging and other food contact materials have been detected in human samples such as urine, blood, and breast milk, while also highlighting significant gaps in biomonitoring and toxicity data.
Using a systematic approach, the authors compared over 14,000 known food contact chemicals (FCCs) with data from five human biomonitoring programs, three metabolome/exposome databases, and scientific literature.
Certain groups of chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, metals, and volatile organic compounds, were commonly detected in both human samples and food contact materials (FCMs).
BPA has been linked to severe health issues, including birth defects, low birth weight, and brain and behavioral disorders in infants and children. In adults, it is associated with diabetes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, cancer, and an increased risk of early death.
According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, PFAS are present in the blood of approximately 98% of Americans.
Phthalates have been linked to genital malformations and undescended testes in baby boys, as well as lower sperm counts and testosterone levels in adult males. Other studies associate phthalates with childhood obesity, asthma, cardiovascular problems, cancer, and premature death.
However, for other chemicals that migrate from packaging into food, such as synthetic antioxidants and oligomers, little is known about their presence and impact on humans. Moreover, the potential hazards of many of these chemicals have not been thoroughly investigated.
The actual number of FCCs in humans is likely higher than reported, as only a subset was investigated in detail.
Experts are alarmed by the scope of the findings. Martin Wagner, a professor of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, told CNN that this is the first study to systematically link the chemicals in food packaging and processing materials to human exposure.
Although food packaging materials may meet government regulations, the study suggests these chemicals may not be entirely safe, explained senior study author Jane Muncke, managing director and chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum.
“We don’t know exactly how much of these chemicals are used in food packaging or other food contact materials compared to their use in cosmetics, personal care products, textiles, and so on. I’d like to have that information,” she told CNN.
“I think it would be fantastic if it were a regulatory requirement for companies to disclose the types and amounts of chemicals they are putting into my food or plastic water bottle.”
In response to the findings, the American Chemistry Council emphasized that its members are committed to ensuring food safety.
