Thousands of chemicals used in food packaging and tableware have been detected in humans, including some known to be hazardous to human health, according to a study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.
Out of the more than 14,000 chemicals that are used in the packaging, production, storage and serving of food that are being monitored, 3,601 were found in human bodies. This is roughly 25 percent of the total known food contact chemicals, raising questions about potential human health risks.
The study reviewed data from biomonitoring programs, metabolome databases that track small-molecule metabolites found in the human body, and exposome databases that use blood samples and high-resolution mass spectrometry to track pollutants in the environment.
The databases contained human samples of body fluids, hair, and breast milk collected from populations around the world.
There’s evidence that certain food contact chemicals are related to non-communicable diseases, which include heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. They are the main causes of death globally and a growing health problem.
The research team identified several groups of chemicals in food-related products with hazardous properties. These include bisphenols (including bisphenol A or BPA), metals, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Several are known carcinogens, such as styrene, benzophenone, formaldehyde, and cadmium—all of which the study found in humans.
Of the chemicals detected in humans, the study’s authors said 100 were of high concern and 44 were of medium concern.
Although the researchers cast a wide net, Christopher Kassotis, assistant professor in Wayne State University’s Department of Pharmacology and one of the authors of the study, said the list of harmful chemicals is presumably longer because the search was restricted to specific databases and biomonitoring programs.
Kassotis, who directs a research lab that studies hazardous chemicals, said there are more than 350,000 chemicals and mixtures registered on the global market, with as many as hundreds of thousands lacking sufficient toxicological characterization.
While the authors say they can’t prove that these chemicals entered human bodies through food alone, they say it’s something that should be studied more closely.
“This shows that there needs to be more research about the toxicity and exposure to many chemicals and regulation around their use in food packaging,” Olwenn Martin, an associate professor at the University College London and another of the study’s authors, said in a statement.
Bisphenol A (BPA), which is banned in some food contact items, including baby bottles, in many developed countries, was also found in humans. The European Commission adopted a complete ban on the use of BPA in food production in December 2024, citing potentially harmful effects on the immune system.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has revoked its authorization for use in food containers designed for certain children’s products including baby bottles, infant formula packaging, and sippy cups. However, it’s allowed in things like metal cans and hard plastic water bottles.
No specific products were mentioned in this study. It was funded by the Adessium Foundation, MAVA Foundation, Sympany Foundation, Minerva Stiftung, and the Food Packaging Forum.
The researchers said they wanted their work to expand knowledge about human exposure to food contact chemicals and their potential health effects.
“We would like this new evidence base to be used for improving the safety of food contact materials—both in terms of regulations but also in the development of safer alternatives,” Jane Muncke, study co-author and Food Packaging Forum managing director, said in the statement.
Kassotis hopes the study draws attention to the vast diversity of chemicals allowable in human food contact materials, and their resulting impact on human life. “There is generally a perception that unsafe chemicals are not allowed in food contact chemicals or other consumer products, and this research shines a light on the vast number of chemicals used in these products that we encounter on a regular basis.”
