In a new peer-reviewed scientific study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, scientists from the Food Packaging Forum Foundation present a new approach to better protect consumer health.
By grouping the more than 15,000 chemicals that can be used or found in food packaging, kitchenware, or other food contact materials, chemicals can be prioritized for regulatory review or phase out.
“There are many known hazardous chemicals in food packaging, but replacing them with very similar chemicals that have not been sufficiently tested is not solving the problem. Based on already known hazardous chemicals, we have identified 38 priority chemicals groups, and we developed a method to quickly identify them within any set of chemicals. This can help policymakers and manufacturers to quickly spot potential chemicals of concern and take appropriate action,” says Dr. Helene Wiesinger, co-author, Food Packaging Forum Foundation.
“Our research shows just how little is known about so many of the chemicals consumers are exposed to everyday through the food packaging they buy. Today’s regulatory approaches in Europe and North America look at each chemical individually, but this is inefficient and does not sufficiently protect consumers. We are proposing an evidence-based grouping approach decision makers can already use now until the proper testing methods and testing data become available,” adds Dr. Jane Muncke, co-author, Food Packaging Forum Foundation.
“Our new FCCgroup app makes it easy and quick for anyone to screen a set of chemicals and find out which might be hazardous and an avoidable threat to consumer health. This can especially help companies stay ahead of future legal restrictions, avoid litigation, and better protect their customers,” says Albert Anguera Sempere, co-author, Food Packaging Forum Foundation.
Key takeaways:
· Major data gaps exist for the majority of chemicals. Nearly 1,222 food contact chemicals are already known to be hazardous for human health, but more than 13,000 lack sufficient publicly available data to determine whether or not they are safe for consumers.
· There are 38 priority chemical groups to address. These groups have a high share of known hazardous chemicals and include ortho-phthalates, PFASs, alkyl phenols, organophosphates, isocyanates, primary aromatic amines, and others.
· Grouping chemicals can help prevent regrettable substitutions. There are 3,547 food contact chemicals within these 38 priority groups. This means they are structurally similar to known hazardous chemicals and therefore could become regrettable substitutes.
· Current food contact regulations look at chemicals one-by-one, which is inefficient and ineffective given the major data gaps for important health endpoints. Using a group-based approach to address major data gaps can reduce the number of regulatory processes needed and ultimately better protect consumer health sooner.
