More than 3,000 chemicals enter the body through food packaging, study finds

What are PFAS, the concerning 'forever chemicals?'

PFAS are increasingly being found unnaturally in water sources, food, and animals.

A new study suggests that hazardous chemicals can migrate from food packaging into the food people eat.

Researchers in Switzerland analyzed more than 14,000 known food contact chemicals (FCCs) and prioritized the chemicals that have been frequently detected in food contact materials. Then the team mapped the available evidence for their presence in humans.

Published Tuesday in the journal Nature, the researchers found evidence of 3,601 FCCs present in humans, with 1,800 of the FCCs coming directly from food packaging items.

This means, of the 14,000 FCCs analyzed, 25% of those chemicals were found present in humans.

Woman shops in grocery store. (Credit: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Many of these FCCs had hazard properties of concern, and still others have never been tested for toxicity," the study authors wrote.

The study found that 100 FCCs had hazard properties of "high concern for human health," and 44 FCCs had "hazard properties of medium concern."

Among the FCCs detected in humans were several carcinogens, such as formaldehyde and cadmium. Dozens of FCCs were also mutagens, which means they contained chemicals such as lead and cobalt. Many more exhibited specific target organ toxicity after repeated exposure.

The researchers said the results can enable policymakers, public health researchers, and food industry decision-makers to make food contact materials and articles safer, reducing potential human exposure to hazardous FCCs and improve public health.

While the research team said FCCs are of concern for human health because they have hazard properties, they noted that toxicity data is often incomplete or missing, which means that safe use cannot be assessed.

Furthermore, the team said the evidence highlights the urgent need to ban the most hazardous chemicals shown to migrate from food packaging and other types of FCAs into foods, to minmize human exposure and protect human health.

"For FCCs migrating into foods, such related hazard data gaps need to be filled with high priority to characterize risk on human health," the authors continued.

EPA imposes limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in tap water

In April, the Environmental Protection Agency imposed its first-ever limits on certain "forever chemicals" in tap water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured.

Toxic chemicals called PFAS found in half of US cosmetics tested

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame tested more than 230 commonly-used cosmetics from top brands.

The rule is the first national drinking water limit on toxic PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are widespread and long-lasting in the environment.

The Biden administration said the action would reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses, including cancers.