Resources

Fact bites

Check out our latest fact bites! These are little info nibbles about food packaging materials and food contact chemicals published to our social media channels. Learn more about each topic below and find additional resources to dive deeper.

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🔎 When chemicals are assessed and regulated individually, hazardous ones might be replaced with other substances that currently lack safety data but might be just as (or more) hazardous than the original.

🧪 This change from a known hazardous chemical to a not-yet-known hazardous chemical is called a ‘regrettable substitution’.

Regrettable substitution occurs when a hazardous chemical is replaced with another chemical that lacks safety data and may pose similar or even greater risks. 

To avoid this, the precautionary principle can be applied, which assumes no new substance is safe until enough data is made available to ensure it is.

One example is the switch from bisphenol A (BPA) to bisphenol S (BPS) or bisphenol F (BPF) in food contact materials. Because BPA has been linked to various adverse health effects, companies began shifting away from BPA. Unfortunately, structurally similar bisphenols such as BPS or BPF were substituted and later found to also have concerning health effects.

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☝️ Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) pose a significant challenge in ensuring the chemical safety of food contact materials.

📖 The science is showing that there are 1000s of these NIAS present in many food contact chemicals, such as paper, board, and plastics. It is difficult to detect and identify all NIAS in a sample, and currently, most are not being assessed for their safety.

☝️ Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) pose a significant challenge in ensuring the chemical safety of food contact materials.

📖 The science is showing that there are 1000s of these NIAS present in many food contact chemicals, such as paper, board, and plastics. It is difficult to detect and identify all NIAS in a sample, and currently, most are not being assessed for their safety.

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♻️ Recycling is a challenging topic. The recyclability of packaging items strongly depends on their materials. While food contact materials like glass and metal can be infinitely recycled without the loss of quality or safety, products made from complex materials like plastics, paper and board, or a combination of them can only be recycled to a limited extent, if at all.

♻️ Recycling is a challenging topic. The recyclability of packaging items strongly depends on their materials. While food contact materials like glass and metal can be infinitely recycled without the loss of quality or safety, products made from complex materials like plastics, paper and board, or a combination of them can only be recycled to a limited extent, if at all.

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🏞️ Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are being found everywhere. To us, they are an invisible form of plastic pollution widely present in both the natural environment and our bodies.

🔬 Research is still ongoing to understand if this widespread exposure is impacting human health.

☝️ We do know that plastic food packaging and processing equipment are significant sources of the MNPs present across many foods we consume.

🏞️ Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are being found everywhere. To us, they are an invisible form of plastic pollution widely present in both the natural environment and our bodies.

🔬 Research is still ongoing to understand if this widespread exposure is impacting human health.

☝️ We do know that plastic food packaging and processing equipment are significant sources of the MNPs present across many foods we consume.

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⚠️ Did you know that hazardous chemicals can migrate from food packaging and foodware into food? There are even certain characteristics of the food itself that can increase and speed up migration. 

⚠️ Did you know that hazardous chemicals can migrate from food packaging and foodware into food? There are even certain characteristics of the food itself that can increase and speed up migration. 

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🧪 Thousands of chemicals are used in plastics, but many lack necessary data describing their potential hazards, use, and presence. There are concerns that plastic chemicals are not regulated adequately to protect the environment and human health.

🧪 Thousands of chemicals are used in plastics, but many lack necessary data describing their potential hazards, use, and presence. There are concerns that plastic chemicals are not regulated adequately to protect the environment and human health.

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♻️ Everyone is talking about reduce, reuse, recycle. But one often overlooked aspect is the chemicals. Many harmful chemicals have been found in reusable and recycled plastic foodware, and many lack much-needed hazard data to ensure they are safe 🧪

♻️ Everyone is talking about reduce, reuse, recycle. But one often overlooked aspect is the chemicals. Many harmful chemicals have been found in reusable and recycled plastic foodware, and many lack much-needed hazard data to ensure they are safe 🧪

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🧪 Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are a major health concern, now backed up by decades of scientific research. They can be present in some food packaging and end up in our bodies by migrating into the foods we eat. Even exposure to them at very low levels can be harmful.

🧪 Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are a major health concern, now backed up by decades of scientific research. They can be present in some food packaging and end up in our bodies by migrating into the foods we eat. Even exposure to them at very low levels can be harmful.

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🧪 By this point you have probably heard the term PFAS, right? But do you know what they are and why they are getting so much attention? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) –  colloquially known as forever chemicals – are being found everywhere. Not only in humans, bodies of drinking water, wildlife, and agricultural soils, but also now often in politics and the media. And PFAS have been widely used in many food contact materials, so they can be there, too.

🧪 By this point you have probably heard the term PFAS, right? But do you know what they are and why they are getting so much attention? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) –  colloquially known as forever chemicals – are being found everywhere. Not only in humans, bodies of drinking water, wildlife, and agricultural soils, but also now often in politics and the media. And PFAS have been widely used in many food contact materials, so they can be there, too.

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☝️ You’ve probably heard of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) before? Used to package many household goods, HDPE is a type of plastic from the polyethylene family often found in food packaging. Typical applications include milk and juice jugs as well as reusable food containers thanks to the material’s durability and lightweight nature. Some common non-food contact applications include detergent and shampoo bottles as well as containers for cleaning products.

💡 While known for its widespread use, HDPE has also been coming up in studies looking into its chemical safety. What do we know about the chemicals it can contain? Do they transfer into food at safe levels? How well can it be recycled into new food packaging?

☝️ You’ve probably heard of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) before? Used to package many household goods, HDPE is a type of plastic from the polyethylene family often found in food packaging. Typical applications include milk and juice jugs as well as reusable food containers thanks to the material’s durability and lightweight nature. Some common non-food contact applications include detergent and shampoo bottles as well as containers for cleaning products.

💡 While known for its widespread use, HDPE has also been coming up in studies looking into its chemical safety. What do we know about the chemicals it can contain? Do they transfer into food at safe levels? How well can it be recycled into new food packaging?

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🧐 Have you ever seen the label “BPA-free” on a food container or packaging?

👉 Learn the science behind why this chemical is getting replaced and even banned in some places.

🧐 Have you ever seen the label “BPA-free” on a food container or packaging?

👉 Learn the science behind why this chemical is getting replaced and even banned in some places.

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❓ Ever heard of phthalates? They’re additives often used to soften plastics and make them more flexible, including in plastic food packaging. Scientific studies show some phthalates are hazardous and can migrate from packaging materials into food, raising concerns for human health.

☝️ From PVC to polypropylene plastics, phthalates are used widely across different materials. While regulations in Europe aim to limit their use, monitoring shows they are still being found in some products where they shouldn’t be.

❓ Ever heard of phthalates? They’re additives often used to soften plastics and make them more flexible, including in plastic food packaging. Scientific studies show some phthalates are hazardous and can migrate from packaging materials into food, raising concerns for human health.

☝️ From PVC to polypropylene plastics, phthalates are used widely across different materials. While regulations in Europe aim to limit their use, monitoring shows they are still being found in some products where they shouldn’t be.

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🧪 While a chemical might individually not have observable effects on our health, it might have significantly increased impacts when combined with other chemicals in a mixture. This is an example of mixture toxicity and is a well-known phenomenon. However, considering the important role of mixture toxicity in risk assessments still proves to be challenging. 

🧪 While a chemical might individually not have observable effects on our health, it might have significantly increased impacts when combined with other chemicals in a mixture. This is an example of mixture toxicity and is a well-known phenomenon. However, considering the important role of mixture toxicity in risk assessments still proves to be challenging. 

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⚠️ Looking at the data shows current regulatory requirements do not sufficiently protect public health from hazardous food contact chemicals. This is because only individual substances used to make food contact materials are tested for only a few toxicological endpoints such as carcinogenicity and genotoxicity. However, thousands of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) can end up in the final product, and there are many other important endpoints such as endocrine disruption not routinely assessed.

🌍 Leading scientists from the Food Packaging Forum and other international research institutions have shared a vision for achieving safer food contact materials through better testing.

⚠️ Looking at the data shows current regulatory requirements do not sufficiently protect public health from hazardous food contact chemicals. This is because only individual substances used to make food contact materials are tested for only a few toxicological endpoints such as carcinogenicity and genotoxicity. However, thousands of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) can end up in the final product, and there are many other important endpoints such as endocrine disruption not routinely assessed.

🌍 Leading scientists from the Food Packaging Forum and other international research institutions have shared a vision for achieving safer food contact materials through better testing.

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🧪🌱 In 2020, the EU published its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). 

👩‍🔬 In 2022, scientists from the Food Packaging Forum and other institutions put together an overview of chemicals intentionally used in food contact materials that are harmful according to the CSS.

🧪🌱 In 2020, the EU published its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). 

👩‍🔬 In 2022, scientists from the Food Packaging Forum and other institutions put together an overview of chemicals intentionally used in food contact materials that are harmful according to the CSS.

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The science is clear: Some of the chemicals used in food contact materials can cause adverse health effects 🧪 ⚠️

❓ How much does this burden the healthcare system?

🧐 Earlier this year, scientists calculated the annual disease burden and cost caused by just a few of the hazardous chemicals used in many types of plastic.

The science is clear: Some of the chemicals used in food contact materials can cause adverse health effects 🧪 ⚠️

❓ How much does this burden the healthcare system?

🧐 Earlier this year, scientists calculated the annual disease burden and cost caused by just a few of the hazardous chemicals used in many types of plastic.

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♻️ Circular economy is a buzzword that keeps popping up in scientific and policy discussions on sustainable food packaging.

🧐 But what exactly would a circular economy entail for food packaging and the chemicals used in them?

♻️ Circular economy is a buzzword that keeps popping up in scientific and policy discussions on sustainable food packaging.

🧐 But what exactly would a circular economy entail for food packaging and the chemicals used in them?

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📖 Scientific studies show that oligomers can migrate from food contact materials into food, but not much is known about how they might affect health.

💻 Our FCCmigex database includes evidence of many oligomers migrating from plastic and silicone food packaging plus some originating from can coatings, and the data is easily explorable. Oligomers are of increasing interest to scientists as their presence is more widely understood.

📖 Scientific studies show that oligomers can migrate from food contact materials into food, but not much is known about how they might affect health.

💻 Our FCCmigex database includes evidence of many oligomers migrating from plastic and silicone food packaging plus some originating from can coatings, and the data is easily explorable. Oligomers are of increasing interest to scientists as their presence is more widely understood.

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👏 Many food brands and retailers are pledging to make their food packaging more safe & sustainable. Did you know that we have been logging these commitments from companies across the globe since 2020?

💻 All this information is easily accessible in the interactive dashboard of our Brand and Retailer Initiatives Database (BRID).

👏 Many food brands and retailers are pledging to make their food packaging more safe & sustainable. Did you know that we have been logging these commitments from companies across the globe since 2020?

💻 All this information is easily accessible in the interactive dashboard of our Brand and Retailer Initiatives Database (BRID).

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❓ Did you know that many synthetic chemicals used in food packaging are also being found in humans?

🖥️ Our FCChumon database compiles the available scientific evidence on food contact chemicals found in human samples including our blood, urine, and breastmilk. 

❓ Did you know that many synthetic chemicals used in food packaging are also being found in humans?

🖥️ Our FCChumon database compiles the available scientific evidence on food contact chemicals found in human samples including our blood, urine, and breastmilk. 

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🍟 Paper and board food packaging is increasingly common, especially as an alternative to single-use plastic items. But what does the science say about its safety and sustainability?

🤓 We have a bunch of resources to help you navigate the available scientific evidence!

🍟 Paper and board food packaging is increasingly common, especially as an alternative to single-use plastic items. But what does the science say about its safety and sustainability?

🤓 We have a bunch of resources to help you navigate the available scientific evidence!

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🍽️ Reusable foodware and packaging tend to be more sustainable than their single-use alternatives. 

☝️ However, some points need to be considered when making the switch to ensure the reusable alternatives are as safe and environmentally friendly as possible.

💡 We have many resources to help navigate research and policy developments surrounding reusable foodware and packaging.

🍽️ Reusable foodware and packaging tend to be more sustainable than their single-use alternatives. 

☝️ However, some points need to be considered when making the switch to ensure the reusable alternatives are as safe and environmentally friendly as possible.

💡 We have many resources to help navigate research and policy developments surrounding reusable foodware and packaging.

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🌭 Let’s talk about ultra-processed foods (UPFs)!

☝️ Processed meats, sodas, cereals, candy bars, instant noodles, frozen pizza, etc. – we’ve all probably heard about UPFs by now. Let’s take a closer look at the science surrounding this topic and what it has to do with food packaging and food contact chemicals.

🌭 Let’s talk about ultra-processed foods (UPFs)!

☝️ Processed meats, sodas, cereals, candy bars, instant noodles, frozen pizza, etc. – we’ve all probably heard about UPFs by now. Let’s take a closer look at the science surrounding this topic and what it has to do with food packaging and food contact chemicals.

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🤔 What are mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs), and how can they get into my food?

🧪 These chemical mixtures are derived from crude oil and are commonly measured in many foods and in human tissues. Food contact materials containing MOHs, like plastics or paper and board, as well as food processing equipment can be potential sources of contamination.

⚠️ This is a problem because MOHs can change genetic material, cause cancer, and disrupt hormone systems. And they have the potential to gradually build up in our bodies.

Curious to learn more? Our free resources summarize the science and regulation of these compounds.

🤔 What are mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs), and how can they get into my food?

🧪 These chemical mixtures are derived from crude oil and are commonly measured in many foods and in human tissues. Food contact materials containing MOHs, like plastics or paper and board, as well as food processing equipment can be potential sources of contamination.

⚠️ This is a problem because MOHs can change genetic material, cause cancer, and disrupt hormone systems. And they have the potential to gradually build up in our bodies.

Curious to learn more? Our free resources summarize the science and regulation of these compounds.

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🌱 Are bioplastics as “sustainable,” “bio,” and “green” as their marketing suggests?

🤔 And what are bioplastics exactly? Bioplastics are either made of renewable feedstock sources such as corn (“bio-based”) OR are biodegraded through the action of microorganisms (“biodegradable”) OR they can be both bio-based and biodegradable. 

🌏 Bio-based plastics can reduce fossil carbon usage, and biodegradable plastics can reduce visible plastic pollution. But, bioplastics are often still chemically complex materials that can impact environmental and human health. For instance, they can include hazardous, unknown, or untested chemicals that can migrate into food or the environment.

☝️ Research shows that bioplastics are not a silver bullet solution to the plastic pollution crisis. Their application requires weighing their limitations and benefits.

Our free resources help introduce this important topic and navigate the body of scientific evidence available.

🌱 Are bioplastics as “sustainable,” “bio,” and “green” as their marketing suggests?

🤔 And what are bioplastics exactly? Bioplastics are either made of renewable feedstock sources such as corn (“bio-based”) OR are biodegraded through the action of microorganisms (“biodegradable”) OR they can be both bio-based and biodegradable. 

🌏 Bio-based plastics can reduce fossil carbon usage, and biodegradable plastics can reduce visible plastic pollution. But, bioplastics are often still chemically complex materials that can impact environmental and human health. For instance, they can include hazardous, unknown, or untested chemicals that can migrate into food or the environment.

☝️ Research shows that bioplastics are not a silver bullet solution to the plastic pollution crisis. Their application requires weighing their limitations and benefits.

Our free resources help introduce this important topic and navigate the body of scientific evidence available.

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☝️ Melamine is a high-production volume chemical commonly used in food contact applications such as plates and cups as well as to make children’s dishware.

🔬 It has repeatedly been shown to migrate from foodware into food and can have adverse human health effects, including inflammation, reproduction toxicity, neurotoxicity, and is a suspected carcinogen.

☝️ Melamine is a high-production volume chemical commonly used in food contact applications such as plates and cups as well as to make children’s dishware.

🔬 It has repeatedly been shown to migrate from foodware into food and can have adverse human health effects, including inflammation, reproduction toxicity, neurotoxicity, and is a suspected carcinogen.

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⚠️ Studies show that microwaving food in plastics increases the likelihood of harmful chemicals migrating into your food. That’s because heat is known to increase migration from complex, non-inert materials like plastics and paper.

🧪 According to the PlastChem project, at least 16’000 known chemicals can be used in manufacturing plastics. More than 4,000 of these are of concern for human or environmental health.

☝️  Plastics can be so complex and diverse that it is very difficult to know which chemicals they actually contain. Even manufacturers, distributors, and food retailers may not know exactly what is in the plastic packaging or container they use and sell. And current government regulations do not require safety testing of plastics for the full range of health impacts many of their chemicals could have (even if it is labeled as being “microwave safe”).

⚠️ Studies show that microwaving food in plastics increases the likelihood of harmful chemicals migrating into your food. That’s because heat is known to increase migration from complex, non-inert materials like plastics and paper.

🧪 According to the PlastChem project, at least 16’000 known chemicals can be used in manufacturing plastics. More than 4,000 of these are of concern for human or environmental health.

☝️  Plastics can be so complex and diverse that it is very difficult to know which chemicals they actually contain. Even manufacturers, distributors, and food retailers may not know exactly what is in the plastic packaging or container they use and sell. And current government regulations do not require safety testing of plastics for the full range of health impacts many of their chemicals could have (even if it is labeled as being “microwave safe”).

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What’s inside your can? 🤔

🥫 Canned food and drinks last for years, partly thanks to a thin protective coating inside the can. These coatings prevent reactions between the metal and the food, but they have also been raising questions about their safety due to chemical migration.

☝️ For decades, epoxy coatings – mostly based on the now widely known chemical bisphenol A (BPA) – have been the standard. This includes many aluminum beverage cans. Increasing concerns about BPA exposure have led to alternatives like acrylic, polyester, and polyolefin coatings. Published scientific data gathered in our FCCmigex database shows more than 100 chemicals are migrating from can coatings into food.

What’s inside your can? 🤔

🥫 Canned food and drinks last for years, partly thanks to a thin protective coating inside the can. These coatings prevent reactions between the metal and the food, but they have also been raising questions about their safety due to chemical migration.

☝️ For decades, epoxy coatings – mostly based on the now widely known chemical bisphenol A (BPA) – have been the standard. This includes many aluminum beverage cans. Increasing concerns about BPA exposure have led to alternatives like acrylic, polyester, and polyolefin coatings. Published scientific data gathered in our FCCmigex database shows more than 100 chemicals are migrating from can coatings into food.

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ℹ️ 130 PFAS have been detected in or found to migrate from food contact materials across 76 studies (2005 – 2024), according to our recently updated FCCmigex database.

🍳 PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of human-made chemicals used in various industrial and consumer products for their water-resistant, grease-resistant, and nonstick properties. They have been used since the 1940s in products like nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foams.

🔎 The database allows users to browse scientific evidence of chemicals that have been found in food contact materials or shown to migrate from them into food or food simulants – all for free and in an easy-to-use dashboard.

ℹ️ 130 PFAS have been detected in or found to migrate from food contact materials across 76 studies (2005 – 2024), according to our recently updated FCCmigex database.

🍳 PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of human-made chemicals used in various industrial and consumer products for their water-resistant, grease-resistant, and nonstick properties. They have been used since the 1940s in products like nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foams.

🔎 The database allows users to browse scientific evidence of chemicals that have been found in food contact materials or shown to migrate from them into food or food simulants – all for free and in an easy-to-use dashboard.

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ℹ️ Oligomers have been found to migrate from many different plastic food contact materials, such as polyamide, PET, polystyrene, silicones, and more.

☝️ Oligomers are molecules made up of a small number of repeating units (monomers) linked together by chemical bonds. They are larger than monomers but smaller than polymers. Oligomers are of increasing interest to scientists as their migration potential indicates that they contribute to human exposure. Still, not much is known about how they might affect human health.

🔎 The recently updated FCCmigex database lets you browse scientific evidence of chemicals that have been found in or shown to migrate from food contact materials into food or food simulants – all for free in an easy-to-use dashboard.

ℹ️ Oligomers have been found to migrate from many different plastic food contact materials, such as polyamide, PET, polystyrene, silicones, and more.

☝️ Oligomers are molecules made up of a small number of repeating units (monomers) linked together by chemical bonds. They are larger than monomers but smaller than polymers. Oligomers are of increasing interest to scientists as their migration potential indicates that they contribute to human exposure. Still, not much is known about how they might affect human health.

🔎 The recently updated FCCmigex database lets you browse scientific evidence of chemicals that have been found in or shown to migrate from food contact materials into food or food simulants – all for free in an easy-to-use dashboard.

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🤓 We recently updated our database on extractable and migrating food contact chemicals (FCCmigex). Many new chemicals were found in or to migrate from food contact materials. The most detected among the newcomers is triphenyl phosphite.

🧪 Triphenyl phosphite is commonly used in adhesives, sealants, coating products, lubricants, and greases. In FCCmigex, the data show it is present in plastics, as well as paper and board food contact materials. According to the @European Chemicals Agency, triphenyl phosphite “is very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects, causes serious eye and skin irritation, is harmful if swallowed, may cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure, and may cause an allergic skin reaction.

🔎 The FCCmigex database allows you to browse scientific evidence for chemicals that are present in or shown to transfer into food or food simulants from many types of food contact materials – all for free in an easy-to-use dashboard.

🤓 We recently updated our database on extractable and migrating food contact chemicals (FCCmigex). Many new chemicals were found in or to migrate from food contact materials. The most detected among the newcomers is triphenyl phosphite.

🧪 Triphenyl phosphite is commonly used in adhesives, sealants, coating products, lubricants, and greases. In FCCmigex, the data show it is present in plastics, as well as paper and board food contact materials. According to the @European Chemicals Agency, triphenyl phosphite “is very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects, causes serious eye and skin irritation, is harmful if swallowed, may cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure, and may cause an allergic skin reaction.

🔎 The FCCmigex database allows you to browse scientific evidence for chemicals that are present in or shown to transfer into food or food simulants from many types of food contact materials – all for free in an easy-to-use dashboard.

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🤔 What are the pros and cons of using glass as a food contact material?

🍾 Glass is a widely used material in food packaging due to its chemical stability, durability, and strong barrier properties. Unlike paper, board, and plastics, glass is a highly inert material (like ceramic and stainless steel), meaning it does not interact with the food it comes into contact with.

🔁 This makes glass a chemically safe food contact material. However, glass is naturally a heavier material and requires high temperatures to produce and recycle. This makes manufacturing and transporting it more energy intensive than other materials. Reusing glass packaging instead of recycling single-use glass packaging significantly reduces the amount of energy needed.

🤔 What are the pros and cons of using glass as a food contact material?

🍾 Glass is a widely used material in food packaging due to its chemical stability, durability, and strong barrier properties. Unlike paper, board, and plastics, glass is a highly inert material (like ceramic and stainless steel), meaning it does not interact with the food it comes into contact with.

🔁 This makes glass a chemically safe food contact material. However, glass is naturally a heavier material and requires high temperatures to produce and recycle. This makes manufacturing and transporting it more energy intensive than other materials. Reusing glass packaging instead of recycling single-use glass packaging significantly reduces the amount of energy needed.

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ℹ️ Ever wondered why beverage cartons are often marked to be thrown away rather than recycled with paper and cardboard?

👉 Beverage cartons are an example of so-called multimaterial food packaging, which are common in everyday life – think of shiny metalized pouches or paper coffee cups coated with plastic. These articles are made from multiple layers of different materials, and their complex composition often presents challenges for recycling and chemical safety. 

❓ What are they made of, how are they used, and what happens after they are tossed into a bin?

ℹ️ Ever wondered why beverage cartons are often marked to be thrown away rather than recycled with paper and cardboard?

👉 Beverage cartons are an example of so-called multimaterial food packaging, which are common in everyday life – think of shiny metalized pouches or paper coffee cups coated with plastic. These articles are made from multiple layers of different materials, and their complex composition often presents challenges for recycling and chemical safety. 

❓ What are they made of, how are they used, and what happens after they are tossed into a bin?

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☝️ In most kitchens these days you will find some sort of silicone utensils such as baking molds, spatulas, or serving spoons. Maybe you even recently replaced some of your black plastic cooking utensils with silicone ones? But what do we know about their safety?

ℹ️ Silicones are widely used in kitchen utensils, food packaging, and processing equipment. Their unique properties (non-stick, flexible, easy to clean, etc.) make them popular in many food contact applications. Let’s take a look at the available science on their chemical safety.

Silicones are synthetic polymers with a backbone of silicon and oxygen atoms, commonly found as fluids, rubbers, or resins.

The most well-known type is PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane), which is used across many food-related applications.

From baking molds to baby bottle nipples, silicones are found in many household and industrial food contact items. They are also used as release agents, lubricants, anti-foaming agents, and coatings in food packaging and processing equipment.

Substances such as siloxane oligomers, catalysts, and additives can migrate from silicone into food—especially into fatty foods or during initial use.

Published scientific studies found that most silicone kitchenware tested caused cell toxicity or interacted with hormone systems. And some studies found chemical migration levels exceeding legal limits in early testing cycles or migrating known substances of very high concern (SVHCs).

While silicone is legally recognized as a food contact material in the EU, there is currently no harmonized regulation to guide its safe use. Instead, stakeholders have to rely on following a patchwork of national laws and recommendations

Research is ongoing to better understand chemical migration from silicones and assess their long-term safety.

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🧪 Bisphenol S (BPS) is a human-made chemical commonly used in the manufacture of plastic food contact materials like beverage can coatings, food storage containers, or tableware. It’s also widely used in thermal paper receipts you get after making an in-store purchase. Since early 2025, BPS alongside bisphenol A (BPA) and other hazardous bisphenols have been banned in the EU for use in food packaging and other food contact due to their various adverse health effects. 

⚠️ The European Chemicals Agency classifies BPS as toxic to reproduction and endocrine disrupting. 

☝️ While it was recently banned in the EU for food contact, BPS remains unrestricted in most other regions of the world and is often used as a (regrettable) substitute for BPA.

Bisphenol S (BPS) is a human-made synthetic chemical commonly used in plastic food contact materials.

It often serves as a substitute for bisphenol A (BPA).

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) classifies BPS as toxic to reproduction and endocrine disrupting. Endocrine disrupting chemicals – like BPS – can have adverse effects even at very low concentrations.

BPS has been detected in various food packaging articles, foods, as well as in humans.

In response to BPS’s health hazards, the EU has recently banned it alongside BPA for use in food contact materials. However, it remains unrestricted in the rest of the world.

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✒️ Printing inks in food?

Yes you heard right, it’s possible for printing inks from food packaging to end up in your food, as many studies have shown. 

Migration of printing inks into food mainly occurs through three different pathways:
1️⃣ Inks used to print on the outside of a packaging can seep through materials with low permeability such as paper and board.
2️⃣ When items such as cups are stacked within each other and the outer printed layer from one cup comes  into contact with the inner layer of another cup, a process called set-off migration can take place.
3️⃣ Recycled paper and board used to make food packaging can be contaminated with printing inks from non-food contact articles like newspapers or magazines that contain unsafe printing inks.

☝️ Many different substances can be used in printing inks (the Swiss positive list contains over 5,000 different chemicals!), and they were identified to have the most food contact chemicals of concern (more than any other type of food contact material).

Printing inks are used to print information onto various food packaging materials to share information with consumers as well as for marketing purposes.

Thousands of different substances can be used in printing inks, and some of them are known to be harmful to human health. Mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons are among the most detected chemicals.

Number of times a chemical related to printing inks was detected to migrate from a type of food contact material into food, according to the FCCmigex database

Numerous studies have found printing inks, or substances used in them, in food. This can mainly occur through three different pathways.

Depending on a material’s permeability, printing inks can seep through packaging and migrate into food. Metal and glass packaging avoid this migration as they have no permeability, whereas materials such as paper and board can be highly permeable and allow high levels of migration.

Printing inks can also transfer to the inside of a food contact article when it comes into contact with the printed, outside layer of another article. This process is called off-set migration and can occur, for example, when printed sheets of beverage carton are stored in rolls, or when paper cups are stacked into each other.

Recycled paper in food contact materials can be a challenge (and health hazard) because it can be contaminated with non-food contact grade printing inks such as those used in newspapers or magazines.

While there remains to be a lack of harmonized regulation to manage printing inks in food contact materials in Europe, Switzerland was the first country to issue a positive list for printing inks (in 2010), which contains more than 5,000 substances.

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The data makes it clear: Plastic recycling alone cannot solve the plastic pollution crisis. While recycling plastic food packaging can help offset the growing demand for virgin plastic production, reducing the overall production of virgin plastics and the use of non-essential plastics will be needed.

1️⃣ Mechanical recycling is not infinite. Today, the recycling of plastic food packaging is primarily mechanical: processing centers chop used plastic packaging into small pieces, then mold it back together. A key challenge with this is that plastics can only be recycled in this way a limited number of times due to their material properties. This means that plastic cannot be mechanically recycled indefinitely. 

2️⃣ There is too much plastic to be recycled. According to the OECD, of the seven billion tonnes of plastic waste generated globally by 2019, only 9% was recycled. 49% was landfilled, 22% was mismanaged, and 19% was incinerated (https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/global-plastics-outlook_de747aef-en.html). Pew Trusts and Systemiq found that scaling up recycling infrastructure enough to address the giant increases in plastic production forecasted in the coming decades is neither technically nor financially feasible (https://www.systemiq.earth/breakingtheplasticwave).

3️⃣ Recycling can have its own impacts. Plastic recycling helps to manage plastic waste, but it can also adversely impact the people who work in the sector and the surrounding environment. Studies have shown that, especially in developing countries, occupational health and safety are not always ensured within the plastic recycling industry (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-7908-2733-0_13). An increasing amount of plastics is sent to these countries for recycling.

4️⃣ Advanced and chemical recycling has not been scalable. New recycling technologies referred to as advanced or chemical recycling use heat, pressure, and/or chemicals to break plastic polymers down into smaller molecules. A study commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment finds their technical feasibility and economic viability is not proven, and their environmental assessment is unclear. It argues that no excessive subsidies should be provided for chemical recycling of plastics (https://www.aramis.admin.ch/Texte/?ProjectID=55619&Sprache=en-US).

While plastic recycling can help to manage flows of used plastics, it faces challenges and limitations, especially considering the huge amounts of plastics produced annually.

Key challenges to address include chemical contamination, incorrect sorting, and degradation of material properties during processing, especially in food packaging applications.

Mechanical recycling is not infinite. With the exception of PET, most types of plastic food packaging are currently only downcycled or not recycled at all, often due to the lack of waste collection and separation infrastructure, insufficient decontamination processes to ensure chemical safety, or unfavorable economics given the lower cost of virgin plastic.

There is too much plastic to be recycled. Of the seven billion tonnes of plastic waste generated globally by 2019, only 9% was recycled. 49% was instead landfilled, 22% was mismanaged, and 19% was incinerated. Scaling up recycling infrastructure enough to address the giant increases in plastic production forecasted in the coming decades is seen to be neither technically nor financially feasible.

Recycling can have its own impact. Studies have shown that, especially in developing countries, occupational health and safety are not always ensured within the plastic recycling industry. This is increasingly concerning due to the ever larger amounts of plastic sent to these countries for recycling.

While it sounds promising, advanced and chemical recycling has not been scalable. It has been shown that many of these novel recycling processes have high energy demands and generate their own sets of toxic waste that need to be specially managed. Their technical feasibility and economic viability has not been proven, and their environmental assessment is unclear. Excessive subsidies to scale it up is not being recommended.

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❓ How do scientists test whether certain substances are toxic? Are current testing practices adequate? Are there some toxicity outcomes that are overlooked?

👉 Bioassays (short for biological assays) are scientific experiments carried out in labware such as test tubes and petri dishes. They are one approach that can be used to screen for and measure the effects of a substance, including food contact chemicals, by exposing it to small parts of a living organism or a biological system.

☝️ Currently, most toxicity assessments for food contact chemicals focus on assessing one substance at a time and are limited to checking for only certain types of toxicity such as being cancer-causing or genotoxic (i.e. damaging DNA). However, we are exposed to chemicals in complex mixtures, and there are many other toxic effects that should ideally be considered as well, such as promoting cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and other impacts on the important roles hormones play in our bodies.

Bioassays (short for biological assays) are a type of scientific experiment used to measure the effects of a substance including food contact chemicals (FCCs) on parts of a living organism or a biological system.

The toxicological testing of food contact materials (FCMs) has largely focused on single substances and for only a few of the many potential toxicological endpoints, most prominently carcinogenicity and genotoxicity.

In reality, people are exposed to complex mixtures of many substances migrating from FCMs into food, and upon chronic exposure to these chemical mixtures, a variety of toxic effects can occur.

Current regulatory requirements (including in the EU and US) therefore do not sufficiently protect public health from hazardous FCCs because only individual substances used to make FCMs are tested and only for a limited set of toxic effects. The potential for endocrine disruption and other harmful effects is largely being overlooked.

The safety of FCMs could be improved by developing bioassays to test the overall migrate, including (unknown) non-intentionally added substances, of finished food contact articles for multiple additional endpoints associated with non-communicable diseases including endocrine disruption.

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We’ve probably all drank from a PET bottle at some point in our lives. But what actually is PET? Can it really be recycled infinitely? Are there any chemical safety concerns related to PET? Let’s take a look at what the science says!

PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate and is a type of transparent, lightweight, rigid plastic. Its most common applications include drinking bottles and food containers, but also synthetic fibres used for clothing. It is estimated that approximately 500 billion PET bottles are produced each year globally.

A big advantage of PET over other plastics is that its recycling process is well established. Notably, recycled PET is allowed for food contact purposes in many regions, including the EU and US. 

The US PET collection rate in 2023 was 33%, and the average post-consumer recycled PET content used in US bottles and jars was 16.2% (https://napcor.com/news/2023-pet-bottle-recycling-reach-new-heights/). In Europe, 75% of PET beverage bottles were collected for recycling in 2022, with an average post-consumer recycled PET content of 25% (https://petcore-europe.org/images/2025/in-europe-today-8-unep-article.pdf).

A report on the circularity of PET by @Zero Waste Europe showed that most PET recovered from bottles in Europe does not make its way back into new PET bottles. Often, PET bottles are  downcycled into other products such as clothing or carpets instead of recycled into new bottles (https://zerowasteeurope.eu/press-release/new-report-pet-the-most-circular-of-all-plastics-is-far-from-real-circularity/). As a non-permanent material, PET cannot be recycled infinitely as the polymer chains break down and require the addition of virgin polymer.

Research has shown that hazardous chemicals can be present in and migrate from PET bottles into food, including so-called oligomers. Oligomers are small molecules made of just a few repeating polymer units. They can be present in PET food contact materials (especially recycled ones) and can migrate into food and beverages. A lot of knowledge gaps concerning their safety remain.

PET is a type of transparent, lightweight, rigid plastic. It’s commonly used for drinking bottles, food containers, or synthetic fibres made into clothing.

An estimated 500 billion PET bottles are produced each year globally.

PET is known for its established recycling processes, especially for drinking bottles. However, it is a non-permanent material meaning it cannot be recycled infinitely using current technology. The polymer chains break down and require the addition of virgin polymer.

According to the FCCmigex database, more than 1’500 chemicals have been found in or migrating from PET food contact articles, including antimony, various phthalates, lead, and oligomers. For a lot of these chemicals, there is no data to ensure their safety. Scientists have proposed the development of new testing approaches using bioassays to ensure final food contact products are safe before entering the market.

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☝️ Black plastics have been a buzzword in the media for a while now. Lots of different types of food contact articles, lots of opinions, lots of confusion. Let’s clear it up!

💡 A 2024 study published in Chemosphere looked at flame retardants in recycled black plastic kitchen utensils. Flame retardants are chemicals commonly used in (black) electronics to prevent or slow down fires. Many flame retardants have been linked to various health concerns, including carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. Plastics from these electronics might be recycled into usually black plastics, including household products such as kitchen utensils (think of a black spatula).

⚠️ The researchers found flame retardant concentrations ranging up to 22,800 mg/kg, including the restricted compound BDE-209, in recycled black household plastics such as food containers or kitchen utensils. They estimated a median consumer exposure of 7,900 ng/day from using these contaminated kitchen utensils. This is less than the US reference dose of 420,000 ng/day. However, other studies have found some flame retardants to have effects even at doses below the currently established safety thresholds (e.g., https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.2c02896). 

🤔 Even when concentrations are below the set reference doses, the question of whether flame retardants should be present in food contact materials at all still remains. According to the study’s authors, “The detection of flame retardants in collected household products indicates that recycling, without the necessary transparency and restrictions to ensure safety, is resulting in unexpected exposure to toxic flame retardants in household items.”

Black plastic consumer goods, including food contact materials, can be made from recycled electronic and electrical equipment.

This may lead to the presence of harmful chemicals that should not be in contact with food.

Flame retardants have repeatedly been found in recycled black plastic household items. A 2024 study found concentrations up to 11,900 mg/kg of the restricted compound BDE-209 in a sushi tray.

Concentrations were well below the U.S. reference dose for a 60 kg adult. However, concerns over these and other harmful chemicals showing up in recycled consumer goods as contaminants remain.

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🤔 What is biomonitoring?

People are exposed to synthetic chemicals in all aspects of their daily lives including those released from food packaging and other consumer products. The field of biomonitoring assesses which of these substances and at what levels can be found in human bodies. This information is critical for performing risk assessments of these chemicals.

The Database on Food Contact Chemicals Monitored in Humans (FCChumon) offers a systematic overview of FCCs that have been monitored and detected in human samples, such as urine, blood, and breast milk.

FCChumon supports policymakers, public health researchers, and decision makers in the food industry and civil society to improve the safety of food contact materials and reduce human exposure to hazardous FCCs.

People are exposed to food contact chemicals (FCCs) in their daily lives.

Biomonitoring studies assess which and at what levels such substances can be found in human bodies. This information is critical for risk assessment of these chemicals.

The Database on Food Contact Chemicals Monitored in Humans (FCChumon) offers a systematic overview of FCCs that have been monitored and detected in human samples, such as urine, blood, and breast milk.

194 FCCs have been detected via human biomonitoring programs, and many of these have hazard properties of concern.

FCChumon supports policymakers, public health researchers, and decision makers in the food industry and civil society to improve the safety of food contact materials and reduce human exposure to hazardous FCCs.

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You might have spotted the acronym PLA on some plastic food contact articles like cups, single-use cutlery, or takeout boxes before.

PLA stands for polylactic acid and is a plastic material made from renewable resources such as corn or sugar cane and is one of the most common “bioplastics” in the world. Does that mean it’s safer than fossil-based plastics? Can it degrade in the environment? Let’s take a look!

While PLA is often marketed as biodegradable, this doesn’t mean it will easily degrade when it ends up in the environment. PLA degrades only in industrial composting conditions, where ideal temperatures, pH, and other requirements are provided.

Studies have shown that while bioplastics are made from renewable feedstocks, they are not necessarily less chemically complex or safer than conventional fossil-based plastics. In a study from 2019, scientists investigated the toxicity of bioplastics and found a high baseline toxicity of PLA bioplastics – similar to conventional plastic materials like polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a bioplastic material made from renewable resources such as corn or sugar cane, and is commonly used in food contact articles like cups, single-use cutlery, or takeout boxes.

While PLA is often marketed as biodegradable, this doesn’t mean it will easily degrade when it ends up in the environment. PLA degrades only in industrial composting conditions, where ideal temperatures, pH, and other requirements are provided.

Bioplastics are not necessarily less chemically complex or safer than conventional fossil-based plastics. Studies have found similarly high baseline toxicity for PLA as for conventional plastic materials.

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☝️ The next meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment takes place soon from August 5 to 14, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. 

The upcoming meeting is more commonly known as INC-5.2, and the instrument these 90+ countries are negotiating under the United Nations Environment Programme is often referred to as the “global plastics treaty”. 

❓ What is this future treaty and why is it important?

👉 Society is facing a Triple Planetary Crisis: human-driven climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The scientific evidence shows that plastics are a contributing factor to all three of them and that the plastics treaty could help mitigate this crisis by addressing pollution throughout the full plastics life cycle, including during feedstock extraction, production, manufacture, use, transportation, and end of life.

🔬 Since the INC started in 2022, discussions have become complex, and there are currently many options on the table. To help negotiators understand and consider the latest independent science, the Food Packaging Forum has participated in the past four INC meetings as a member of the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. We will be in Geneva to support the next meeting, too.

The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2) took place from August 5 to 14, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Often referred to as the Global Plastics Treaty, 90+ countries are negotiating with one another to create a legally binding framework with the aim of combating plastic pollution globally.

This is important because society is facing a Triple Planetary Crisis: human-driven climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Scientific evidence demonstrates that plastics are a contributing factor to all three of them.

The available science also shows that the future Plastics Treaty can help mitigate the Triple Planetary Crisis by addressing pollution throughout the full plastics life cycle, including feedstock extraction, production, manufacture, use, transportation, and end-of-life. This includes the need for reducing the production of primary plastics.

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🍫 The everyday use of food packaging and food processing equipment is a source of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in food. That is one takeaway from our most recently published systematic evidence map called FCMiNo. Our scientists sifted through the scientific literature on MNPs measured in foods that had been in contact with plastics and compiled a database. Let’s take a look at some of the other key findings:

👉 The most studied articles are plastic bottles. The most studied material is (recycled) PET, followed by polypropylene.
👉 Highly reliable data on MNP migration from FCAs into food are scarce. Most published scientific studies currently available are not designed to identify the origins of MNPs in foodstuffs.
👉 This calls for a harmonized testing and reporting approach, as well as for a systematic characterization of material- and use-related MNP releases. By mandating MNP migration testing for FCAs, regulations could help to better protect human health.

FCMiNo provides an overview of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) that have been detected in foodstuffs or food simulants in contact with all types of plastic food contact articles (FCAs).

The normal and intended use of plastic FCAs including food packaging and food processing equipment is a source of MNPs into food.

The most studied articles are plastic bottles. The most studied material is (recycled) PET, followed by polypropylene.

Highly reliable data on MNP migration from FCAs into food are scarce. Most published scientific studies currently available are not designed to identify the origins of MNPs in foodstuffs.

This calls for a harmonized testing and reporting approach, as well as for a systematic characterization of material- and use-related MNP releases. By mandating MNP migration testing for FCAs, regulations could help to better protect human health.

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🧪 Green chemistry – what’s that ⁉️

✅ Green chemistry is defined as the design of chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry applies across the life cycle of a chemical product, including its design, manufacture, and use.

Popularized in the late 1990’s, green chemistry aims to make chemical products and processes safer, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable by applying 12 principles 👇

Be sure to also check out the work by our scientific advisory board member Terry Collins who has been an important voice in the field and teaching about green and sustainable chemistry for decades (https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.291.5501.48).

The design of chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances.

An overview of the 12 principles of green chemistry:

Prevention
It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it has been created.

Atom economy
Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.

Less hazardous chemical syntheses
Wherever practicable, synthetic methods should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.

Designing safer chemicals
Chemical products should be designed to affect their desired function while minimizing their toxicity.

Safer solvents and auxiliaries
The use of auxiliary substances (e.g., solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary wherever possible and innocuous when used.

Design for energy efficiency
Energy requirements of chemical processes should be recognized for their environmental and economic impacts and should be minimized. If possible, synthetic methods should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.

Use of renewable feedstocks
A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practicable.

Reduce derivatives
Unnecessary derivatization (use of blocking groups, protection/deprotection, temporary modification of physical/chemical processes) should be minimized or avoided if possible, because such steps require additional reagents and can generate waste.

Catalysis
Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents.

Design for degradation
Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they break down into innocuous degradation products and do not persist in the environment.

Real-time analysis for pollution prevention
Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for real-time, in-process monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.

Inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention
Substances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen so as to minimize the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions, and fires.

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🤔 What are life cycle assessments, and how do they work?

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a scientifically accepted framework to assess and compare the environmental impacts of products and services over their entire life, i.e. from cradle to grave. Here is a quick introduction to how it works:

Materials are made from raw resources (like oil, ores, and plants), which are then transformed into technical materials (like plastics, metals, and paper). These technical materials are processed into parts or components that are later assembled into products (like food packaging). Products are then used by consumers before they  reach their end of life and are eventually disposed of.

At each of these main life cycle stages (production, use, disposal), energy and materials are consumed (inputs), and emissions to air, water, and soil are generated (outputs). Both inputs and outputs can have a direct impact on the environment and humans. These impacts can be quantified by metrics, such as the CO2 footprint, water usage, or eco-toxicity in a life cycle assessment.

Together with leading food service companies, NGOs, and technical experts, we have co-developed an extensive life cycle assessment tool to compare different foodware and packaging items. The UP Scorecard measures commonly used foodware and food packaging with a single yardstick to offer the first-ever, free, and comprehensive tool for making sustainable purchasing decisions based on the latest available science. Impact scores are provided for plastic pollution, chemicals of concern,  climate, water use, sustainable sourcing, and recoverability.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a scientifically accepted framework to assess and compare the environmental impacts of products and services over their entire life, i.e. from cradle to grave.

Materials are made from raw resources (like oil, ores, and plants), which are then transformed into technical materials (like plastics, metals, and paper). These technical materials are processed into parts or components that are later assembled into products (like food packaging). The products are then used by consumers before they reach their end of life and are eventually disposed of.

At each of these life cycle stages (production, use, disposal), energy and materials are consumed (inputs), and emissions to air, water, and soil are generated (outputs). Both inputs and outputs can have a direct impacts on the natural environment and humans. These impacts can be quantified by metrics, such as the CO2 footprint, water usage, or eco-toxicity in a life cycle assessment.

The UP Scorecard is a free, science-based life cycle assessment tool to compare common foodware and packaging items based on their climate impact, water usage, plastic pollution, sustainable sourcing, recoverability, and chemicals of concern.

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🤯 Did you know that humans have been using ceramics as a food contact material for more than 10,000 years?

🍽️ Ceramic ware used for food contact—such as plates, bowls, and mugs—is made from clay that is shaped, glazed, and then fired at high temperatures. Its dense, vitrified (i.e. non-crystalline) surface offers durability and heat resistance. This makes it a highly inert, chemically simple material that avoids many of the chemical migration concerns often present in less inert, chemically complex materials such as paper and plastics.

⚠️ However, some glazes applied to ceramics could contain heavy metals such as lead and cadmium migrating into foods, especially when in long contact with acidic or hot foods, or when the glaze is damaged. This is primarily an issue in older ceramics, and it is more likely to be seen in decorative or painted ceramics with bright colors like red, orange, or yellow. Lead and cadmium can be toxic to humans and have been shown to cause health problems when ingested. According to the FCCmigex database, there is evidence from 21 and 18 studies that lead and cadmium can migrate from glazed ceramics, respectively.

☝️ The good news is that legislation exists in most regions of the world that specifies safety and testing requirements for glazed ceramics intended for food contact to prevent the issue of heavy metals.

Variations of ceramics have been used by humans for thousands of years.

Ceramic ware used for food contact—such as plates, bowls, and mugs—is made from clay that is shaped, glazed, and then fired at high temperatures. Its dense, vitrified (i.e. non-crystalline) surface offers durability and heat resistance. This makes glazed ceramics a highly inert, chemically simple material that avoids many of the chemical migration concerns often present in non-inert, chemically complex materials such as paper and plastics.

But ceramics made with metal-containing glazes can result in lead, cadmium, or other toxic heavy metal migrating into foods. Low pH, long contact times, vintage/antique dishware, and chipped/worn/damaged glazes increase the risk of heavy metal migration when they are present.

Many world regions have regulations in place that require testing to avoid heavy metals from being present in food contact ceramics. At the European level, this is Directive 84/500/EC and regulates the permissible limits of lead and cadmium, as well as migration testing conditions.

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🥫 Metal is one of the most common food packaging materials on the market. From containing soda bubbles to preserving bean texture, metal is known for its strength, protective properties, and ability to preserve food over extended periods. It is also a permanent material that can be infinitely recycled. Today, aluminum and steel remain the dominant metals used in cans, trays, lids, and foils.

☝️ However, some metals raise safety concerns due to the migration of metal ions into foods and beverages. Coatings applied to the inside of cans to prevent direct contact between metal and food may contain harmful chemicals (including the now infamous BPA) that migrate into food. Often, the exact composition of these coatings remains unknown to the public.

Metal has been used in food packaging since the early 19th century, following the invention of the canning process, which allowed both the storage and preservation of food directly in the packaging.

Metal packaging provides strong barrier properties against gases, light, and odors, and it is able to withstand high temperatures, making it suitable for long-term food storage.

Direct contact between food and metal can lead to migration of metal ions, especially in foods with high acidity or salt content. To prevent this, both steel and aluminum packaging are often coated with organic polymers, such as plastic. These coatings can themselves contain and release known chemicals of concern such as bisphenol A or related chemicals into food.

Stainless steel is a metal food contact material commonly used for reusable drinking bottles, storage containers, cutlery, or frying pans. Compared to coated metals, stainless steel is highly inert and does not require any coating.

Both aluminum and steel packaging can be recycled many times without loss of material properties. Food and beverage cans often achieve high recycling rates, with aluminum cans typically containing around 70% recycled material.

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What does science say about straws?

Straws come in many different forms, and restaurants around the world have been replacing plastic straws with paper ones in an effort to combat plastic pollution. Let’s have a look at some of the published science on these materials!

According to a 2021 study, plastic straws are among the top ten items found during beach clean ups (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378021001394?via%3Dihub), and wild animals have been shown to ingest them (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X11003997; https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh0945). Moreover, plastic food contact articles have been shown to release potentially harmful chemicals, as well as microplastics, into food and beverages (FCCmigex: https://foodpackagingforum.org/resources/databases/fccmigex and FCMiNo: https://foodpackagingforum.org/resources/databases/mino). 

So, what about paper straws? A study from 2024 found a suspected carcinogen and two recognized endocrine disrupting chemicals to migrate from them into soda drinks (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214289424000024). The authors concluded that paper straws may not be the safest alternative to plastic straws in terms of food safety. Similarly, straws labeled as “plant-based” and “biodegradable” were shown to contain PFAS in 2021 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653521007074).

In a study from 2023, researchers found PFAS in various types of straws, including ones made from paper, bamboo, glass, and plastic. The only exceptions were those made of stainless steel (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19440049.2023.2240908). 

All of this research also begs the question: does everyone always need a straw? Maybe their use is not always essential.

Plastic straws and their environmental impacts have been discussed at length in the last few years. Many restaurants have phased them out and replaced plastic straws with paper straws.

Plastic straws are commonly found during beach clean ups. Animals have been shown to ingest and subsequently get hurt by plastic waste items like straws. Plastic food contact articles like straws can release potentially harmful chemicals, as well as microplastics, into food and beverages.

Paper straws may also release harmful chemicals. “Plant-based” and “biodegradable” straws have been found to contain PFAS. Researchers suggest that paper straws may not be the safest alternative to plastic straws in terms of food safety.

PFAS have also been found in bamboo, glass, and plastic straws according to one study. The only exceptions were stainless steel straws.

Considering their potential impacts and that straws are largely used for convenience, the question remains: Do you always need to use a straw?

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🫐 Consumption of antioxidant-rich “superfoods” like blueberries and whole grains has been linked to positive health outcomes. But what about synthetic antioxidants added to food packaging?

⛓️‍💥 Polymers can degrade when exposed to oxygen, heat, or light. This can cause brittleness, discoloration, cracking, or loss of mechanical strength in polymeric materials like plastics. To prevent this, manufacturers add stabilizers such as synthetic antioxidants to extend a product’s lifetime.

💡 Scientific evidence shows that these compounds can migrate from food contact materials into food. However, while these antioxidants are good for packaging, some are potentially hazards to human health and the environment.

ℹ️ For example butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DtBP) are both suspected endocrine disruptors – meaning they may interact with and disrupt the hormone system.

☝️ Still, very little is known about the toxicity of most synthetic antioxidants and their degradation products, despite their potential to migrate into food. More research will be needed to better understand their risks.

Consumption of antioxidant-rich “superfoods” like blueberries and whole grains has been linked to positive health outcomes.

But what about synthetic antioxidants added to food packaging?

Polymers can degrade when exposed to oxygen, heat, or light. This can cause brittleness, discoloration, cracking, or loss of mechanical strength in polymeric materials like plastics. To prevent this, manufacturers add stabilizers such as synthetic antioxidants to extend a product’s lifetime.

Scientific evidence shows that these compounds can migrate from food contact materials into food. However, while these antioxidants are good for packaging, some are potentially hazards to human health and the environment.

For example butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DtBP) are both suspected endocrine disruptors – meaning they may interact with and disrupt the hormone system.

Still, very little is known about the toxicity of most synthetic antioxidants and their degradation products, despite their potential to migrate into food. More research will be needed to better understand their risks.

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🏞️ Environmental health is a branch of public health that studies how our surroundings affect human wellbeing. This includes factors such as air and water quality, exposure to chemicals, climate, and the built environment.

💡 Scientific evidence shows that environmental factors contribute to a significant share of the global burden of disease. For example, air pollution is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, or certain chemicals that migrate from food contact materials into food may be associated with other non-communicable diseases.

👉 Understanding these interactions helps policymakers, industry, and consumers make informed decisions to reduce risks and promote healthier environments.

Environmental health considers the external factors influencing human health. These include air, water, soil, food, or chemical exposures.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately one in four deaths are linked to environmental conditions. Key contributors include air pollution and poor water quality, but also exposure to harmful chemicals.

Some packaging materials may release harmful chemicals (e.g. bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS, etc.) into food, adding to chemical exposures for humans.

Children and vulnerable groups are affected the most. Long-term exposure can lead to chronic diseases and other non-communicable diseases. A sustainable environment promotes a healthy population.

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Foodware and food packaging materials are a source of human exposure to chemicals because chemicals can transfer from the packaging into the food. Some of these food contact chemicals (FCCs), like bisphenols or phthalates, are of concern.

However, systematic approaches have not been applied to identify and prioritize the hazards of all known FCCs.

To address this, the Food Contact Chemicals Priority (FCCprio) List was compiled. It identifies and prioritizes FCCs for phase-out and avoidance based on their hazard properties and exposure potential.

In total, 1,222 FCCs were identified as hazardous based on publicly available, harmonized data and placed on the FCCprio List. Of the 15,159 known FCCs, 12,317 (81%) currently lack any relevant harmonized hazard data and could not be considered for prioritization.

The Food Contact Chemicals Priority (FCCprio) List systematically identifies and prioritizes food contact chemicals (FCCs) for phase-out and avoidance based on their hazard properties and exposure potential.

In total, 1,222 FCCs were identified as hazardous based on publicly available, harmonized data and placed on the FCCprio List. They were then each ranked based on their relevance for human exposure from food contact materials.

Of the 15,159 known FCCs, 12,317 (81%) currently lack any relevant hazard data and could not be considered for prioritization.

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In chemistry, the term inert is used to describe something that is not chemically active, i.e. a substance that does not react with other substances or break down over time. 

Similarly, the concept of inertness in food contact materials describes a material’s potential to react and exchange chemicals or compounds with the food or beverage it is in contact with. 

Examples of non-inert materials that react with foods can include plastics or paper & board. While materials like stainless steel, glass, and glazed ceramics are highly inert and have little reaction with foods.

When food is in contact with a non-inert material, chemicals may leach into the food and vice versa. You might have observed this phenomenon before when a plastic container is stained red after storing tomato sauce in it. Not only did parts of the tomato sauce enter the container, but parts of the container also leached into the tomato sauce. This effect is especially strong for hot, fatty, and acidic foods. 

Using more inert materials helps to reduce potentially harmful chemicals from leaching out of food packaging and other food contact articles into food. 

Inertness describes a material’s potential to react and exchange chemicals or compounds with the food or beverage it is in contact with.

Examples of non-inert materials include plastics or paper & board. Materials like stainless steel, glass, or ceramics are highly inert.

When food is in contact with a non-inert material, chemicals from the material may leach into the food and vice versa.

An example of this is when a plastic container is stained red after storing tomato sauce in it. Not only did parts of the tomato sauce enter the container, but parts of the container also leached into the tomato sauce.

Using more inert materials helps to prevent potentially harmful chemicals from leaching out of food packaging and other food contact articles into the food we eat.

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October is breast cancer awareness month – a time to celebrate survivors and progress made, remember those lost, and reflect on prevention measures. 

As cancer is one of the few health endpoints specifically targeted in current FCM regulations and testing, carcinogenic chemicals in food packaging and other food contact materials and articles should not be commonplace.

We recently updated our database on migrating and extractable food contact materials (FCCmigex). By comparing with the @Silent Spring Institute’s list of potential breast carcinogens, we identified 230 food contact chemicals found in food packaging and processing equipment with potential or confirmed links to breast cancer. This is up from 189 potential breast carcinogens identified in 2024. 

77% were found in plastics. 113 were detected to migrate into food from studies published within the last five years. 6 of those are confirmed mammary carcinogens in rodent models. 

“Our findings imply that chronic exposure of the entire population to suspected mammary carcinogens from FCMs is the norm and highlights an important, but currently underappreciated, opportunity for prevention,” the original study from 2024 concludes.

In 2024, we published a peer-reviewed paper describing 189 food contact chemicals that are potential or confirmed breast carcinogens.

The chemicals were identified by comparing our database on migrating and extractable food contact chemicals (FCCmigex) with chemicals that have breast cancer inducing characteristics according to the Silent Spring Institute.

In March of 2025, we updated the FCCmigex database. In honor of breast cancer awareness month, we have now rerun the analysis using the updated data.

Considering the latest 20 months of published research, the number of FCCs that are potential breast carcinogens increased from 189 to 230. 178 of them (77%) have been detected in food contact materials made of some type of plastic polymer.

An additional 37 of the identified potential breast carcinogens are classified as ‘highly relevant’, meaning they were detected in migration studies since 2020. 6 of these new highly relevant chemicals are confirmed mammary carcinogens in rodent models.

“Our findings imply that chronic exposure of the entire population to suspected mammary carcinogens from FCMs is the norm and highlights an important, but currently underappreciated, opportunity for prevention.”

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Most foods we eat, especially ultra-processed ones, have been in prolonged and repeated contact with food processing equipment – from being chopped using stainless steel pipes to flowing through plastic tubing (and often more). Before food even gets into the package, it might have already been in touch with a lot of processing equipment.

Under the mechanical, thermal, and chemical stresses of modern production, chemicals from that equipment can migrate into the food. Some of these can be hazardous chemicals of concern for public health.

While chemical migration from food packaging has received a lot of attention, the potential for chemical migration from food processing has been largely overlooked despite that it can be even higher. This is because contact with food often occurs under conditions that increase chemical migration, such as  high temperatures or pressure.

Examples of common food processing steps include milling, crushing, centrifuging, mixing, extruding, or molding. Each uses different machines under different conditions. Common ways chemicals can migrate into the food include direct leaching under aggressive conditions (e.g. high temperature or low pH), microplastic generation from mechanical abrasion and wear, or from cleaning and sanitizer residue.

Most foods we eat, especially ultra-processed ones, have been in prolonged and repeated contact with food processing equipment – from being chopped using stainless steel pipes to flowing through plastic tubing (and often more).

Before food even gets into the package, it might have already been in touch with a lot of processing equipment.

Under the mechanical, thermal, and chemical stresses of modern production, chemicals from that equipment can migrate into the food. Some of these can be hazardous chemicals of concern for public health.

While chemical migration from food packaging has received a lot of attention, the potential for chemical migration from food processing has been largely overlooked despite that it can be even higher. This is because contact with food often occurs under conditions that increase chemical migration, such as  high temperatures or pressure.

Examples of common food processing steps include milling, crushing, centrifuging, mixing, extruding, or molding. Each uses different machines under different conditions. Common ways chemicals can migrate into the food include direct leaching under aggressive conditions (e.g. high temperature or low pH), microplastic generation from mechanical abrasion and wear, or from cleaning and sanitizer residue.

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Size matters – at least for food packaging. Here’s why 👇

Chemicals used to make non-inert materials like paper or plastics can migrate into your food. Some of these chemicals may be harmful to human health. 

Small packaging sizes have a much higher surface-to-volume ratio than their larger counterparts. Think about those individual sauce packets you might get at a fast food place compared to a large bottle of the same sauce.

Or said in another way: a higher percentage of your sauce is in direct contact with the packaging, enabling higher migration of chemicals per serving.

Extensive scientific research has shown that many chemicals can transfer from non-inert materials – like paper or plastics – into food.

Some of these chemicals can be harmful to human health.

One of the factors causing higher levels of food contact chemicals in food is portion size: Smaller portions have a higher surface-to-volume ratio than larger ones. This means a higher percentage of the food is in direct contact with the packaging.

Examples include sauce sachets, small yoghurt cups, juice boxes and pouches, individually wrapped candies, and more.

Avoiding small portion sizes can not only help reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, but also reduces material consumption.

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Single-use paper is an increasingly common replacement for single-use plastics. While it can help to reduce some well known environmental impacts, swipe through the graphic to see why it’s still not always such a simple “solution”.

In order to make paper & board packaging water- or grease-repellant so it can store wet foods, a coating is usually applied on its surface.

In many packaging products today, this coating is made of some type of plastic.

According to our FCCmigex database, 439 chemicals have been found in or migrating from these coatings into food, including PFOA, various phthalates, BPA, and more.

These coatings can also make the sorting and recycling process much more difficult, since they have to be separated from the paper fibers. Paper & board packaging with non-biodegradable plastic coatings cannot be composted, even though many consumers may not realize the plastic is even there.

While some environmental impacts may be reduced when using paper-based packaging compared to single-use plastics, they are both still single-use products. The evidence shows that reusable packaging can have the lowest impacts when regularly returned.

Highly inert materials like stainless steel, glass, and glazed ceramics do not require coatings, are fundamentally less chemically complex, and therefore transfer far fewer chemicals into food.

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Have you recently come across seaweed-based food packaging? Or maybe another type of novel food contact article made from fungi or recycled agricultural waste? While innovative products can bring new opportunities, they still need to protect health.

Food contact materials (FCMs) play an essential role in today’s food system. As new materials emerge to meet sustainability goals, the question of what counts as novel and how to assess safety becomes increasingly important.

Novel FCMs may use new chemistries, bio-based polymers, recycled inputs, or smart packaging functions, but they still need to adhere to the same core principle: materials should not transfer chemicals or particles into food in amounts that could endanger human health or alter the food’s composition.

“Novel” food contact materials use new substances, structures, or technologies not yet covered by existing authorizations or long-established practices. According to EU regulations, food contact materials (FCMs) must prevent harmful transfer of chemicals or particles to food – this goes for novel materials, too.

Today’s approach to assessing material safety focuses on intentionally added substances, but it often overlooks non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) that can be harmful and transfer into food, such as byproducts, impurities, or degradation compounds.

While many novel materials are marketed as “plastic free” or “100% natural”,  this does not mean they are free of potentially harmful chemicals that migrate into the food, such as additives, NIAS, or pesticides in the case of bio-based materials. 

While climate change from greenhouse gas emissions is an important impact area  to consider when calculating a product’s sustainability, it is not the only one. Other impacts such as water use, sourcing, plastic pollution, recoverability, and chemicals of concern are important as well. To be both novel and sustainable, new materials need to be properly assessed for the wide range of impacts the evidence shows they can have on the environment and health.

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In need of a summary of the EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)?

The PPWR is a major EU regulation on packaging that entered into force in February 2025. 

The aim of the PPWR is to reduce packaging waste, harmonize more packaging rules across the EU, and promote a more circular packaging economy.

By 2030, all packaging placed on the market must be recyclable, and plastic packaging must contain up to 35% post-consumer recycled content, depending on the use case, increasing to 65% by 2040.

By 2030, 10% of beverage containers must be reusable, increasing to 40% by 2040 with some exceptions.

From 2030, take-away food operators must offer 10% of products for sale in a reusable packaging format.

From 2030, many applications of single-use plastic packaging will be banned, including those used for fruits and vegetables under 1.5 kg, food and beverages served in restaurants, and individual portions of condiments, sauces, milk creamers, and sugar.

18 months from its entry into force, packaging items exceeding set thresholds for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) will be banned.

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Aluminum is a commonly used material for things like drinking cans, grill pans and trays, or foils. While offering benefits such as being infinitely recyclable, there are still some things to consider when using aluminum food packaging or cookware in your daily life.

Aluminum can leach into food, especially when heated or in contact with acidic ingredients. To reduce this, most aluminum cookware, foil, containers, and beverage cans are coated with plastic, though chemicals from these linings can still migrate into food and drinks.

Consuming aluminum can harm human health, specifically the body’s system responsible for creating blood, the nervous system, and bones.

This can happen when aluminum migrates from food packaging or cookware into your food, especially at high temperatures or with acidic foods. An example would be grilling something in a lemon juice marinade on an aluminum tray, or a hot takeout meal served in an aluminum container.

To prevent aluminum from migrating into food, many aluminum products are lined with a thin layer of plastic. This includes some aluminum foils, take out containers, and cups.

Something many people don’t know: Aluminum beverage cans are also coated in a thin layer of plastic. While this prevents migration of aluminum, there are still many other chemicals from the plastic lining that can transfer into your drink.

More inert materials like stainless steel and glass do not react with foods and therefore also do not require additional coatings.

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Did you know that chemicals from glue used in food packaging can end up in your food?

Known as adhesives, these substances are found in most food packaging items, and some have been shown to release hazardous chemicals into food.

Adhesives are commonly used to hold together different packaging components and layers, make labels and stickers stick, and ensure packaging stays closed during transport.

However, as they can be in direct or indirect contact with food, chemical migration from adhesives into food is a relevant health concern. At least 249 chemicals have been found to migrate from adhesives into food or food simulants.

Among these are known endocrine disruptors such as various phthalates and mineral oil hydrocarbons.

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While the use of hazardous chemicals can be justified as essential in some applications, this is often not the case for food contact materials (FCMs).

Data shows that consumers today are unnecessarily exposed to harmful substances through  food packaging, processing equipment, and cooking utensils. Applying the essential use concept to FCMs can help prevent these exposures and expand the use of safer materials.

Essential use is a concept that can help phase out the use of hazardous chemicals by asking whether certain applications are really useful and necessary.

The European Commission defines an essential use as one that is:

  • Necessary for health or safety
  • Critical for the functioning of society
  • Lacking availability of acceptable alternatives

Uses of hazardous substances in food packaging and other food contact materials (FCMs) are likely not, per this definition, essential.

PFAS, for instance, have been demonstrated as not essential in non-stick cookware since that use is not necessary for health, not critical for the functioning of society, and safer alternatives exist (such as stainless steel cookware).

Colorants in FCMs are another example. They are not essential since their primary purpose is for marketing.

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Food contact materials (FCMs) made with bamboo are popping up across global markets. But not all of these products are as sustainable as they seem.
According to the European Commission, there is some serious ‘Bamboo-zling’ going on with bamboo being used as an additive for plastics.

Bamboo powder is sometimes used as an additive in plastic foodware like bowls and cups (usually melamine-based articles) with the claim that they are more green and sustainable. 

“This allegedly sustainable alternative to the plastic materials, however, is in fact precisely made of plastic, where the bamboo or other plant-based additive is added only as a filler (to give it volume and shape). This practice is making the plastic non-recyclable and even less eco-friendly,” the European Commission states.

Bamboo is not authorized to be used as an additive in FCMs in the EU and has not been safety assessed. The use of bamboo in plastic FCMs is also noted to potentially accelerate the degradation of certain plastics, which can lead to (more) chemicals migrating from the plastic into food.

This is especially concerning for melamine-based products where melamine and the hazardous chemical formaldehyde can migrate into food in amounts exceeding the safe limits set in Regulation (EU) 10/2011.

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What is stainless steel? What are its advantages and disadvantages for food packaging and other materials in contact with food?

Stainless steel is a durable and highly inert material widely used in food contact articles. Thanks to its fixed chemical structure and simple set of ingredients, it does not react with food or beverages, making it a chemically safe option for bottles, containers, cookware, and processing equipment. 

Although heavier and more resource-intensive to produce compared to materials like plastic or paper, stainless steel has material properties that allow it to be reused and recycled indefinitely.

Stainless steel is an iron-based mixture of metals, including chromium that makes it resistant to rust and corrosion. Unlike plastics or paper, stainless steel is highly inert, which means that it does not react with food or beverages it is in contact with.

Its durability and inertness make stainless steel a chemically safe option for reusable food contact
articles like beverage bottles, containers, bowls, frying pans, and food processing equipment. These material properties also allow stainless steel to be recycled infinitely into new products without a significant loss in quality.

The initial production of stainless steel is resource intensive, and steel is heavier than plastic and paper, which makes transportation less efficient. However, reusing stainless steel products lowers their overall impacts over time until eventually they have lower environmental impacts than alternatives made from plastics or paper.

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