September 17, 2024 – Humans ingest tiny, chemical-containing pieces of things that come into contact with the foods and drinks we devour every single day. There are a wide range of sources for these chemicals, from plastic bags and bottles to takeout containers and shrink wrap to manufacturing and cooking equipment.
Scientists have identified 14,000 different chemicals that come into contact with food, and now a brand new study has found that 3,601 of them have been detected within the human body. This represents 25% of known food contact chemicals, sometimes called FCCs.
Among the worrying elements of their findings was how little is understood about most chemicals, particularly whether and the way they affect human health. The researchers also found many which have already been linked to cancer, everlasting genetic changes, toxic effects on the reproductive system and toxicity to vital body organs.
Some FCCs are thoroughly understood. One of probably the most well-known is Bisphenol A (BPA), using which is banned in some containers corresponding to baby bottles for health reasons, which has led to many products promoting that they're “BPA free”. Other chemicals have been further regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, including a handful of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). drinking water.
Researchers also found metals, pesticides, volatile organic compounds that will be inhaled, and phthalates, that are used to make plastics in addition to fragrances and private care products. The chemicals have technical names corresponding to triphenylphosphine oxide and di-n-propyl phthalate.
When the team searched scientific literature to seek out out what was known in regards to the FCCs detected in humans, they concluded that there was a significant lack of understanding, corresponding to synthetic antioxidants that help keep products fresh and oligomers, that are just small molecules which are unintentionally added to food.
“Many of these FCCs have worrisome hazard properties, and others have never been tested for toxicity,” the researchers wrote in regards to the reasons they conducted the study. “It is known that humans are exposed to FCCs through food, but the full extent of human exposure to all FCCs is unknown.”
The study, published this week within the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiologycomprehensively searched biological data collections for the detection of FCCs in humans, for instance from blood, urine, skin and breast milk samples. The data is now compiled and available in a public listing with an interactive search function.
“Our research helps establish the connection between chemicals in contact with food and human exposure, highlights chemicals overlooked in biomonitoring studies, and supports research into safer materials in contact with food Come into contact,” lead creator Birgit Geueke, PhD, senior research fellow on the Food Packaging Forum, said in a Press release.