Materials that are in contact with food contain chemical substances that can migrate into food products and subsequently into the human body. Several of these substances have been studied, and the health risks that some of them pose have been well documented. One example is the well-known bisphenol A, which the European Commission has recommended banning in products in contact with food, particularly baby bottles. But there has been no comprehensive inventory of all substances that can migrate into food and of studies that examine their potential toxicity to the human body. An international team aimed to fill this gap, and their impressive work has been published in Nature.

Using several registries, researchers identified 14,402 substances that are used by the food industry and can migrate into food products. Of these substances, 3601 (25%) were found in human body samples. The researchers have made their list available to the public for free. For each substance, they have provided references to available studies.

The list is not exhaustive, the researchers noted, because they only considered the available scientific literature. Indeed, for many substances that can migrate into food and are present in the human body, there are no scientific data on their level of risk to human health. The researchers believe that the list they provided should serve as an opportunity to initiate or complement research aimed at addressing this gap. Furthermore, they advocate for extreme caution regarding the continued use of many substances that can migrate into food, particularly by minimizing their use until more information is available.

Concerns about toxicity are warranted, on the basis of the already identified risks posed by several substances that migrate into food. The researchers provided several examples.

Phthalates are regularly detected in materials in contact with food and in human samples from biologic monitoring programs. The same is true for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, even though most of these substances have never been authorized as components of materials in contact with food. Dioxin analogs, several pesticides, antioxidants, and flame retardants can be introduced into food contact materials during the industrial production process, often unintentionally. Data on the level of risk that these products pose to human health are lacking, however, because they are not subject to any biologic monitoring programs.

Oligomers (ie, degradation products of polymers used in many food contact materials) have rarely been identified in human biologic samples, likely because of the technical difficulties associated with detecting them in these complex compounds. Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether is frequently produced during the polymerization processes of resins used in food contact materials. It has been suspected of being genotoxic, an endocrine disruptor, and a source of allergies. However, research is lacking to clarify its potential toxicity.

Food is not the only pathway for the introduction of potentially dangerous substances into the human body. For instance, benzophenone, which is used in cosmetics, is strongly suspected of being carcinogenic.

Thus, the researchers advocate for an active biologic monitoring policy for all food contact chemicals because there is a significant lack of data for many of them. Priority should be given to the chemicals that are frequently present in the human body or present in great quantities. The researchers see an urgent need for action.