September 17, 2024 – Humans ingest tiny particles containing chemicals from things that come into contact with the food and drinks we devour day by day. There are quite a lot of sources of those chemicals, starting from plastic bags and bottles to take-out containers and shrink wrap to manufacturing and cooking equipment.
Scientists have identified 14,000 different chemicals that come into contact with food. A recent study has now found that 3,601 of them have been detected within the human body. That's 25% of all known chemicals that come into contact with food, also referred to as FCCs.
Among essentially the most disturbing elements of their findings was how little is thought about most of those chemicals, particularly whether and the way they affect human health. The researchers also found many chemicals which are already linked to cancer, everlasting genetic changes, toxic effects on the reproductive system, and toxicity to vital body organs.
Some FCCs are very well-known. One of essentially the most well-known is bisphenol A (BPA), which has been banned from use in some containers corresponding to baby bottles as a result of health concerns, resulting in many products promoting that they're “BPA-free.” Other chemicals at the moment are more strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, including a handful of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
The researchers also found metals, pesticides, volatile organic compounds that may 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 combed through the scientific literature to search out out what is thought in regards to the FCCs detected in humans, they concluded that there's a broad lack of information, for instance about synthetic antioxidants that keep produce fresh and about oligomers, that are simply small molecules inadvertently added to foods.
“Many of these FCCs have hazardous properties of concern, and others have never been tested for toxicity,” the researchers wrote of their rationale for the study. “Humans are known to be exposed to FCCs through food, but the full extent of human exposure to all FCCs is unknown.”
The study, published this week in Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiologyextensively searched biological data collections for evidence of FCCs in humans, including blood, urine, skin and breast milk samples. The data at the moment are compiled and available in a public listing with an interactive search function.
“Our research helps establish the link between chemicals that come into contact with food and human exposure, highlights chemicals that are missed in biomonitoring studies, and supports research into safer materials that come into contact with food,” said lead writer Dr. Birgit Geueke, research associate on the Food Packaging Forum, in a Press release.