Nearly 200 chemicals linked to cancer found in everyday food packaging
A new study has uncovered the alarming amount of potential carcinogens in food packaging and plastic tableware.
Researchers from the Food Packaging Forum found that nearly 200 chemicals linked to breast cancer are being used in food packaging, with dozens of these carcinogens able to find their way into the body.
“There is strong evidence that 76 known or potential breast carcinogens from food contact materials recently purchased all over the world can be found in people,” study co-author Jane Muncke said.
“Getting rid of these known or suspected carcinogens in our food supply is a huge opportunity for cancer prevention.”
Muncke is managing director and chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum, a non-profit foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland focusing on science communication and research.
The study, published last month in the journal Frontiers In Toxicology, compared a list of potential breast carcinogens to a list of chemicals that have been found in food contact materials to find out which of the potential carcinogens could be getting into people's diets.
Of the 189 potential mammary carcinogens in food contact materials, with 143 of these found in plastics and 89 found in paper or cardboard.
Of the recently detected chemicals found in food packaging, 40 have already been classified as hazardous by regulatory agencies around the world.
Another research scientist, Jenny Kay, from Silent Spring Institute an organisation focused on the link between chemicals, women's health, and breast cancer said: “So many of these chemicals have already been classified as human health hazards, yet they are still allowed to be used in food contact materials thus allowing them to migrate into the food we eat."
Early-onset breast cancer rates in women younger than 50 have been increasing, and experts said the trend cannot be explained by genetics alone.
“Many of the mammary carcinogens are hormone disruptors, too, and many of the chemicals on our list can also damage DNA," Kay said.
“Consumers should not have to keep track of all of the scientific literature on what chemicals to avoid. It should be on regulators to recognise the danger and take action.”
The Consumer Brands Association, which represents the consumer products industry, said its members adhered to the US Food and Drug Administration’s evidence-based safety standards.
“Packaging exists to protect and keep food safe for consumption,” the association’s senior vice president of product policy and federal affairs Sarah Gallo told CNN.
“The FDA reviews and approves food contact substances through their science and risk-based system before they go to market.
“The agency’s post-market review also provides continuous safety analysis and regulation of the approved substances.”
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