Thousands of Food-Packaging Chemicals Lack Safety Data
New research looks to simplify the problem of regulation by sorting food-contact chemicals into groups.
Most food packaging materials lack adequate safety data, with 350,000 chemicals on the global market having limited toxicity information. Out of 15,000 chemicals used in food contact materials, only 1,222 have known health risks, while the rest lack sufficient information. Researchers have grouped chemicals into 38 structurally similar groups, with many members posing health risks.
While this approach could streamline regulation, the sheer number of chemicals—some of which may be unknown contaminants—remains a challenge. Stricter regulations in Europe have led to decreased exposure to certain chemicals, but the emergence of alternative chemicals poses a new exposure risk.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
