Toxic chemicals entering the human body through food packaging

Craig Nigrelli

IT’S LONG BEEN KNOWN CHEMICALS CAN SEEP INTO FOOD WHEN IT’S MADE, PACKAGED, PROCESSED, AND STORED  – BUT A NEW STUDY SHOWS JUST HOW MANY OF THOSE CHEMICALS MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE HUMAN BODY.

RESEARCHERS FROM MULTIPLE COUNTRIES CAME TOGETHER TO STUDY 14-THOUSAND CHEMICALS KNOWN TO BE USED IN FOOD PACKAGING…

AND FOUND 36-HUNDRED OF THEM – OR ABOUT 25 PERCENT – CAN BE FOUND IN THE HUMAN BODY. 

WHAT’S MORE – 79 OF THE CHEMICALS FOUND TO MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE HUMAN BODY ARE *KNOWN* TO CAUSE CANCER, GENETIC MUTATIONS, AND REPRODUCTIVE AND ENDOCRINE ISSUES – AMONG OTHER HEALTH CONCERNS.

RESEARCHERS SAY MOST OF THE CHEMICALS LEACHING FROM FOOD PACKAGING COME FROM PLASTICS – CHEMICALS IDENTIFIED IN THE STUDY INCLUDE B-P-A, P-FAS, AND PHTHALATES… BUT PLASTICS ARE *NOT* THE ONLY CONCERN.

ONE OF THE STUDY’S AUTHORS POINTED TO RECYCLED FOOD PACKAGING, SPECIFICALLY – BECAUSE THE RECYCLING PROCESS ALLOWS NON-FOOD GRADE INKS TO BE EXPOSED TO THE FOOD YOU EAT.

THE STUDY’S AUTHORS ALSO SAID WHILE ONLY 79 OF THE CHEMICALS THEY FOUND IN THE HUMAN BODY ARE *KNOWN* TO CAUSE HEALTH ISSUES… MORE OF THE CHEMICALS MAY BE HARMFUL, BUT WE JUST DON’T KNOW IT YET.

THEY ALSO NOTE THAT WHILE THE PRODUCTS YOUR FOODS ARE PACKAGED IN MAY COMPLY WITH GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS – THAT DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN THEY ARE COMPLETELY SAFE.

THERE ARE WAYS TO MITIGATE YOUR EXPOSURE, THOUGH…

LIKE AVOIDING MICROWAVING FOOD IN TAKEOUT CONTAINERS BECAUSE HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN CAUSE THE CHEMICALS TO GET INTO YOUR FOOD MORE QUICKLY.

SCIENTISTS ALSO SAY FOODS THAT ARE HIGH IN FAT OR ACIDITY ALSO TEND TO ABSORB MORE CHEMICALS FROM THEIR PACKAGING, SO YOU CAN LOOK TO AVOID THOSE.

AND DON’T LET YOUR FOOD BE CRAMMED INTO A SMALL CONTAINER.

THE MORE CRAMPED THE CONTAINER – THE MORE CONTACT IT HAS WITH THE FOOD INSIDE.