New research finds that thousands of chemicals, including known toxics like PFAS and bisphenol, are leaching from food packaging into humans, raising concerns over regulatory oversight.
Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Over 3,600 chemicals approved for food contact in packaging and kitchenware have been detected in human bodies, many of which are linked to cancer and hormone disruption.
- Some of these chemicals migrate into food, with plastic, silicone and metal can coatings being major culprits, especially when exposed to heat or high acidity.
- Regulatory gaps in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's process allow toxic chemicals to persist in food packaging with little ongoing scrutiny.
Key quote:
“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.”
— Birgit Geueke, Food Packaging Forum
Why this matters:
Despite these alarming findings, regulatory oversight is full of holes. The FDA has approved over 3,600 chemicals for use in food packaging, but the system seems more concerned with getting products to market than with long-term safety. Read more: Nearly 200 compounds linked to breast cancer found in food packaging, tableware.
