In short:
- 144 of the chemicals detected are known to be hazardous to human health, and several are classified as category 1 carcinogens.
- Many others have no biomonitoring or hazard data available, highlighting the large knowledge gap around chemicals used in food contact materials.
- Because this study focuses only on a small subset of chemicals, the authors emphasize that humans are likely exposed to an even higher number of chemicals than what they found.
Key quote:
“This evidence base supports policy and decision-making and highlights the urgent need to ban the most hazardous chemicals shown to migrate from food packaging.”
Why this matters:
Common food contact materials such as processing equipment, tableware, and packaging can leach out their chemical components, exposing consumers. A lot remains unknown about the potential harm caused by exposure to these large mixtures of chemicals, many of which have not been studied for health effects. The authors of this study highlight the need for policymakers and industry to protect human health by reducing the use of hazardous chemicals altogether.
Related EHN coverage:
- The FDA is reassessing how they manage chemicals in our food. Here’s why you should care.
- Op-ed: When it comes to food chemicals, Europe’s food safety agency and the FDA are oceans apart
More resources:
The Food Packaging Forum, whose members authored this study, provides independent publications and tools based on the latest science on food contact chemicals, including an interactive dashboard based on the results of this study.
