On January 22, 2026, Luyu Wang from the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA, together with scientists from the Food Packaging Forum (FPF) and other co-authors, published a review in the Journal of the Endocrine Society on the food contact chemical antimony. The article focuses on antimony migration from food contact materials (FCMs), associated health risks, and guidelines on how to reduce exposure.
Antimony is a metalloid used as a catalyst in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Given the widespread use of PET, food packaging is likely an important source of oral antimony exposure. Scientific studies have shown that this metalloid is present in plastics and can migrate into foods (FPF reported, and here), with migration increasing with temperature (FPF reported) and foodstuff acidity (FPF reported). Antimony is considered a probable human carcinogen (WHO IARC Group 2A) and has been associated with cardiometabolic health outcomes.
In their review, Wang and co-authors conclude that FCMs are a significant source of antimony exposure, particularly in acidic foodstuffs or when foods are stored at elevated temperatures. When comparing different material types, the scientists report “antimony migration was highest in plastic FCMs, but migration levels were also notably high for ceramics/porcelain/earthenware and crystalware. In contrast, glassware, paper, and metal showed the lowest migration levels.”
Biomonitoring data from the United States, Canada, and China have demonstrated the relevance of antimony exposure for human health. The review discusses several health outcomes associated with antimony exposure, including obesity, diabetes, as well as liver and cardiovascular diseases, and highlights that “mounting data link antimony to adverse cardiometabolic health.”
Wang and co-authors recommend defining a human No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) to improve the risk management. In addition, they advise to reduce the use of plastics and that antimony be replaced in PET. To better understand antimony’s cardiometabolic outcomes, the authors call for further research using longitudinal cohorts.
For their review, the scientists extracted data from 40 references reporting antimony migration from FCMs into foodstuffs, which were included in FPF’s Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex). They further assessed urinary antimony levels from 10,901 US citizens enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and 2018. Finally, the authors summarized the antimony-related health risks based on 85 articles focusing on antimony and cardiometabolic disease.
Reference
Wang, L. et al. (2026). “Antimony: A Cryptic Metabolism Disruptor Ubiquitous in Food Contact Materials.” Journal of the Endocrine Society. DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvag011
