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.