A new peer-reviewed study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology identified more than 15,000 chemicals that come in contact with food. Of that number, 1,222 are known to be associated with serious health risks including cancer and reproductive harm.
What is even more alarming is that the vast majority – more than 13,200 – lack enough accessible information to even estimate potential risks associated with them getting into food.
We tend to assume that when regulators allow chemicals to be used in products like food packaging, it is because they have been through rigorous safety testing. However, that is not the case.
The new study highlights how little is actually known about the risks of substances that can affect everyone. The 1,222 they described as having known safety risks were identified from governmental and regulatory agencies linking them to various human health hazards. These were further ranked into four tiers, the highest containing 94 chemicals known to seep into food and be detected in breast milk, blood, or other human samples. The second tier contained 264 hazardous chemicals known to leach into food but not yet detected in biomonitoring studies.
Trade groups representing the chemical and food packaging industries have information about many of the chemicals they use but don’t release it. Many of the chemicals that migrate into food are so-called not-intentionally added substances or NIAS.
As for the thousands of chemicals whose health impacts are not known, it is very dangerous to assume that because something isn’t known to be hazardous it must be safe.
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References:
No One Knows All the Toxic Chemicals You’re Eating
