Chemicals in food packaging seep into human bodies: impact on health

The researchers, led by scientists from a Swiss nonprofit called the Food Packaging Forum Foundation, analyzed data on more than 14,000 food contact chemicals — substances in containers or other materials that touch what we eat and drink.

The study, published Sept. 17 in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, explained that 25 percent of the chemicals they studied — about 3,601 substances — appeared inside the human body, in samples including skin, hair, blood, milk maternal, and adipose tissue.

This suggests that manufacturing chemicals migrate into our bodies from items we use to store, package or cook food. It’s not just plastic, as even paper or cardboard can contain substances like ink that can be problematic when they come into contact with food.

Trying to understand the health risks

Scientists are looking for clues to understand the long-term health impact of these chemicals.

Some of these chemicals are known to be dangerous, including carcinogens (which cause cancer) and toxins linked to hormonal and reproductive problems.

One such category is called PFAs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), known as “forever chemicals” because they persist and accumulate in our bodies, water and soil. PFA exposure is linked to some cancers, liver damage and more, as well as possible developmental defects in children.

Other dangerous chemicals the study found in our food and in our bodies include BPA (a toxic packaging ingredient linked to hormone problems) and heavy metals that can damage our DNA.

And there’s a lot we don’t know about many of the other chemicals found in human samples, including whether they might be harmful or what amount, if any, is safe.

The actual number of chemicals we are exposed to through food and drink could also be much higher than the 3,601 estimated in the study, according to the researchers.

Establishing chemical exposure limits

The same team of researchers previously published a study that found that government regulations do little to prevent chemical exposure.

While there are some existing rules — such as limits on PFAs in drinking water — the legislation is slow to keep up with the latest science and sometimes too vague to be enforced. Additionally, there is so much we don’t know about the potential risks of chemicals that haven’t been studied as carefully.

The new study is a crucial step in understanding how chemicals in our environment (and in our food) can affect our long-term health, and how we might be able to reduce the risks in the future.

“This work highlights that food contact materials are not entirely safe, even if they can comply with regulations, because they transfer known hazardous chemicals into humans,” Jane Muncke, lead author of the study, environmental toxicology expert and director general at the Food Packaging Forum, said in a press release.

“We would like this new evidence base to be used to improve the safety of food contact materials – both in terms of regulation, but also in the development of safer alternatives,” said Muncke.