The long-term effects of many of these chemicals have yet to be studied
If you think you see the last of your food wrappers once you dispose of them, you may want to think again.
A new study revealed that nearly 4,000 chemicals used for food packaging can have lasting impacts on the human body, with traces detectable in urine, breast milk, and blood. Additionally, many of these chemicals have been known to be detrimental to consumers health long-term.
This work highlights the fact that food contact materials are not fully safe, even though they may comply with regulations, because they transfer known hazardous chemicals into people, said researcher Dr. Jane Muncke. We would like this new evidence base to be used for improving the safety of food contact materials both in terms of regulations but also in the development of safer alternatives.
The risks of food wrappers
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from five human biomonitoring programs, three metabolome/exposome databases, and recent studies that included information on more than 14,000 food contact chemicals (FCCs).
Ultimately, their analysis revealed that 3,601 chemicals, or 25%, were found in humans. This means that the chemicals that are used to make food packaging are then leaching into the human body.
There are surprisingly many hazardous chemicals used in food contact materials, and they do not just stay there, but quite some of them reach, to some extent, the human body, said researcher Dr. Martin Scheringer. This is concerning, and there clearly is a need for safer and simpler food contact materials.
Some of the well-known chemicals that have long been detected in food packaging include metals, bisphenols, per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, and volatile organic compounds. Exposure to these chemicals comes with a long list of health hazards a higher risk of cancer, reproductive issues, fertility issues, immune system issues, developmental delays, behavioral changes, and more.
There are still unknowns
In addition to uncovering the chemicalsstudies have long identified in food packaging, the researchers also identified thousands of new chemicals. The primary concernis that the long-term health effects of these lesser-known chemicals are also unknown. So, as consumers continue to be exposed to them, it remains unclear how that exposure is affecting them.
We already knew that problematic chemicals in food packaging are not limited to well-known substances such as bisphenol and phthalates, but we were surprised by the high number of food contact chemicals for which some evidence of human exposure exists, said researcher Olwenn Martin.
This shows that there needs to be more research about the toxicity and exposure to many chemicals and regulation around their use in food packaging.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-09-30 11:10:28
