New peer-reviewed research has found that more than 3,600 chemicals approved for use in food contact packaging, kitchen utensils or food processing equipment are found in humans, highlighting a toxic exposure risk that is rarely regulated.
These chemicals are found in human blood, hair, or breast milk. Among them are known highly toxic compounds such as PFOS, bisphenols, metals, phthalates and volatile organic compounds. Many of them are linked to cancer, hormonal disorders, and other serious health problems.
But there are many substances for which published toxicological information is very limited, such as synthetic antioxidants used as preservatives and oligomers that stabilize packaging inks. The study authors said these knowledge gaps highlight the need for further review of food contact chemicals.
The Food Packaging Forum, a Zurich-based nonprofit that advocates for greater regulation, co-authored the study. The study identified about 14,000 chemicals approved for contact with food and examined databases and scientific literature for evidence that each chemical accumulates in the human body. Humans are exposed to many of these chemicals in other situations, so this study doesn't mean food packaging is the only culprit.
The most serious of these is plastic, a largely unregulated material that can contain thousands of chemicals. Silicones and coatings on metal cans can also contain toxic or poorly studied compounds, and many paper and paperboard products, which until recently were treated with PFAS, may contain a layer of plastic.
Several factors can cause chemicals to leach into food at a higher rate, such as higher temperatures, fat content, and acidity. The ratio of packaging to product is also important - food in smaller containers may be more contaminated.
Many chemicals in the United States are approved with limited review under the Food and Drug Administration's "generally recognized as safe" rules. U.S. law also does not require the FDA to consider new scientific evidence after approving chemicals for food contact. They are found in pans, fruit, dust and even tap water.
This has been a problem with chemicals like perfluorooctane sulfonate or titanium dioxide, which remained on the market for decades before being cleared or further studied. Although the EU has stricter regulations on certain chemicals, such as PFOS, "there is still a lot of room for improvement."
Consumers can protect themselves by purchasing food in glass jars, which generally contain very few chemicals. Some researchers working in the field say they bring their own glass containers to restaurants to pack leftovers. Taking food out of store-bought plastic containers or to-go containers and placing them in glass jars at home can reduce the time it takes for chemicals to transfer from the packaging, but this cannot be completely avoided and the solution is greater regulation.