More than 3,600 chemicals approved for food contact in packaging, kitchenware or food processing equipment have been found in humans, new peer-reviewe

Thousands of toxins from food packaging found in humans – research

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2024-09-27 12:30:15

More than 3,600 chemicals approved for food contact in packaging, kitchenware or food processing equipment have been found in humans, new peer-reviewed research has found, highlighting a little-regulated exposure risk to toxic substances.

The chemicals have been found in human blood, hair or breast milk. Among them are compounds known to be highly toxic, like PFAS, bisphenol, metals, phthalates and volatile organic compounds. Many are linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other serious health issues.

But many others are substances for which there are very limited public toxicological profiles, such as synthetic antioxidants used as preservatives and oligomers that stabilize ink on packaging. The study’s authors say the knowledge gaps highlight the need for further scrutiny of food contact chemicals.

“What is certainly of concern is that we have a strong link that shows some hazardous chemicals … migrate from packaging into food, so there is a contribution to exposure from packaging,” said Birgit Geueke, a study co-author with the Food Packaging Forum, a Zurich-based non-profit that advocates for stronger regulations.