Study Reveals Over 3,600 Food Packaging Chemicals Detected In Human Bodies

A study published on Tuesday revealed that over 3,600 chemicals used in food packaging or preparation have been found in human bodies, with some posing health risks and others not yet fully understood. Lead author Birgit Geueke from the Food Packaging Forum Foundation noted that around 100 of these chemicals are considered “high concern” for human health.

While chemicals like PFAS and bisphenol A are well studied and banned in some places, many others lack sufficient research on their health effects. Geueke called for further investigation into how these chemicals enter the human body through food.

Researchers had previously cataloged around 14,000 food contact chemicals (FCCs) that can migrate into food from various packaging materials or other parts of the food production process. They then searched biomonitoring databases for these chemicals in human samples.

Expecting to find a few hundred, the team was surprised to discover 3,601 FCCs, representing about a quarter of all known FCCs, according to Geueke. Geueke noted that the study could not definitively link all detected chemicals to food packaging, as other exposure sources are possible.

Among the “high concern” chemicals were numerous PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” which have been linked to various health issues and detected in multiple body parts in recent years. Bisphenol A, a hormone-disrupting chemical used in plastics and banned from baby bottles in many countries, was also found.

Additionally, phthalates, known to affect fertility, were detected. The study also identified oligomers, byproducts of plastic production, though their health effects are less well understood. Geueke highlighted that there is limited evidence on the health effects of many detected chemicals.

She acknowledged that the study couldn’t determine if any chemicals were present in particularly high concentrations. Geueke also warned about potential interactions between these chemicals, noting that one sample contained up to 30 different PFAS.

She recommended minimizing contact with packaging and avoiding heating food in its original packaging. Duane Mellor, an expert in evidence-based medicine at Aston University, commended the study as a “very thorough piece of work.”