Hazardous chemicals found in single use plastic food containers

The European Commission has launched a process to update EU laws governing chemicals in food contact materials (MOCA).

As some activists have said, the European regulatory framwework has not protected consumers enough to date, because almost everything we eat comes into contact with these materials and some of these are very dangerous for human health, such as Bisphenol A in the cardboard of pizza or the phtalates in single use plastic containers. The results of the research "Plastics in the Spotlight" on 52 people from different European countries have shown from 18 to 23 dangerous chemicals in their body, all coming from single use plastic food wraps.The analyses focused on assessing the presence of chemicals that can be found in disposable food packaging, such as phthalates and bisphenols, associated by scientific studies with diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular disease, as well as having a negative impact on the reproductive and immune system.

These results are further evidence of how the packaging and the products we consume and use on a daily basis introduce foreign chemicals into our bodies, which science has shown to be potential risks to our health and the environment. It is urgent to reduce the use of disposable options and rely on circular and safe materials. Given the ability of many of these chemicals (many of which are hazardous) to migrate from packaging and other materials to food, their continued use should be understood as a risk to human health.

The European Commission has undertaken to propose a review of the legislation on materials in contact with food by the end of 2022.

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