According to Dr. Birgit Geueke from the Food Packaging Forum Institute in Zurich, approximately 100 chemicals used in food packaging pose a “high risk” to human health. Notable examples of these hazardous chemicals include PFAS and bisphenol A, both of which are currently being phased out.

Geueke emphasizes the need for further research on how certain chemicals in food packaging transfer to the human body through food consumption. These chemicals can migrate from packaging to food and may also originate from production processes.

Researchers, who previously identified 14,000 food contact chemicals (FCC), discovered that 3,601 of these chemicals were present in the human body after examining biomonitoring databases.

Geueke notes that exposure to these chemicals is not limited to food packaging. Multiple sources of exposure are possible, and chemicals like PFAS and bisphenol A have been found in various parts of the human body in recent years, with links to health problems.

Other chemicals of concern include phthalates and lesser-known oligomers, which are known to have hormone-disrupting effects. Geueke highlights that the health effects of these chemicals are still unclear, particularly for oligomers, which are by-products of plastic production.

However, Geueke warns that the interaction between these chemicals can pose additional risks. The study highlights that the European Union is in the final stages of banning the use of PFAS and bisphenol A in food packaging.

The research was published in the “Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology,” shedding light on the potential dangers of food packaging chemicals and the need for further investigation.