Study reveals thousands of food contact and packaging chemicals found in human bodies

19 Sep 2024 --- A recent study identified over 3,600 chemicals used in food packaging or kitchen appliances in the human body, many of which pose potential health risks. The findings indicate that consumers are exposed to a quarter of all known food contact chemicals (FCCs), raising concerns about their long-term effects on physical and mental well-being.

The study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, found that out of more than 14,000 known FCCs cataloged by researchers, evidence of human exposure was detected for 3,601 — an unexpectedly high number according to the researchers. Of these 3,601 FCCs, 194 were identified through human biomonitoring programs, with 80 chemicals flagged for having particularly hazardous properties. 

Lead study author Dr. Birgit Geueke, senior scientific officer from the Food Packaging Forum Foundation, a Zurich-based NGO, tells Packaging Insights: “We knew that the national biomonitoring programs routinely address up to a few hundred chemicals in human samples and we expected a certain overlap, especially for plasticizers, PFAS and bisphenols.”  

“The fact that the metabolome and exposome databases contain so many more food contact chemicals surprised us. In the future, this needs to be studied in more detail to understand the contribution of these chemicals to human exposure and their link to food contact materials.”

Unseen risks

Food contact chemicals migrate from materials used in packaging, storing and processing food. These substances, which include plastics, metals, paper and glass, are a ubiquitous part of modern food systems. Some chemicals also originate from equipment such as conveyor belts and kitchen utensils.

According to the scientist, Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical classified as toxic to reproduction and an endocrine disruptor affecting hormone systems, has been detected in the human body. Bisphenol S, a potential BPA substitute with similar properties, has also been found in humans and may pose additional risks to babies.

Dr. Birgit Geueke, senior scientific officer from the Food Packaging Forum Foundation.Geueke notes that PFAS, a chemical that may impact human health as early as the fetal stage of development, was also detected in this research. 

“Human health effects are only well-understood for individual PFAS, such as PFOA. They include the potential to damage the unborn child, liver toxicity, and effects on the immune system. For many other PFAS, toxicity data are very scarce, so their impact on human health is not known at all.”

Other researchers point out that plastics have become a “black box,” while many of the chemicals detected are still under-researched, and their health impacts remain largely unknown. 

Geueke emphasizes the need for more research to fully understand how these chemicals migrate into food and what long-term effects they might have on human health. Oligomers, which are byproducts of plastic production, are particularly under-researched in this context.

“Oligomers are difficult to analyze. Standards like the pure substances used to identify chemicals in samples or to test their toxicity are typically not available. Additionally, oligomers are usually present as mixtures of structurally related substances that are difficult to separate,” she explains.

“To better understand the possible effects of oligomers, research should focus on the development and application of toxicity assays that can be used to assess complex mixtures of oligomers and beyond.”

Supporting policy efforts

The EU is in the process of banning PFAS in food packaging, and a ban on BPA is expected by the end of this year. However, researchers and civil society groups argue that more comprehensive bans are needed to address the thousands of chemicals still in use.

The study introduced an interactive dashboard, FCChumon, which is freely available, searchable, and linking to the relevant sources, allowing stakeholders to make food contact materials and articles safer, reduce human exposure to hazardous FCCs and improve public health. For FCCs migrating into foods, such related data gaps need to be filled with high priority to characterize risk on human health.

The study also introduced Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex), which systematically compiles scientific evidence on FCCs detected in food contact materials and articles.

“The FCChumon and the FCCmigex dashboards can help food packaging specialists and biomonitoring experts to quickly find relevant information for thousands of chemicals that have been detected in food contact materials and in humans,” Geueke details.

“The FCChumon dashboard summarizes if a chemical has been investigated or detected in humans, by which programs or projects, and provides links directly to the original research.”

“This information can support ongoing policy efforts, for example, in the case of PFAS and bisphenols, and identify knowledge gaps related to chemicals that need to be studied more thoroughly.”

By Sichong Wang