A new study has shown that thousands of chemicals from food packaging, including known endocrine disruptors and carcinogens, are making their way into human bodies through everyday food contact.
Shannon Osaka reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Researchers identified 3,601 chemicals from food packaging in human samples, including blood, hair and breast milk.
- Chemicals like PFAS and phthalates, known to disrupt hormones and cause cancer, were prevalent in the study, though links to illnesses were not directly examined.
- High temperatures and fatty, acidic foods increase chemical leaching from plastic and paper packaging into food.
Key quote:
“There are known hazardous chemicals that are known to be linked with adverse human health outcomes. And these chemicals leach out of packaging.”
— Jane Muncke, chief scientific officer, Food Packaging Forum
Why this matters:
While this study doesn’t directly connect these chemicals to illnesses, it’s a roadmap for future research into the health risks. For now, it’s another reason to rethink what our food comes wrapped in and how those wrappers might be doing more harm than good. Read more: Burgers and fries with a side of PFAS.
