Topics
human health
May 16, 2025
Scientists from the Food Packaging Forum, INSERM, New York University and ETH Zurich publish article in Nature Medicine outlining health impacts of exposure to synthetic chemicals in food with a focus on food contact chemicals (FCCs) from packaging and processing; identify exposure to FCCs as an underappreciated health concern; emphasize link between FCCs and ultra-processed foods; describe future research needs and policy recommendations
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 27, 2025
Epidemiological study links maternal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with increased risk of childhood obesity; PFAS found to disturb fat metabolism in-vitro inducing conflicting effects during fat cell differentiation; several thousand PFAS predicted to bind to nuclear hormone receptors involved in weight regulation
Reading time: 4 minutes
January 14, 2025
South Korean study assesses link between microplastics in blood and plastic container use as well as blood coagulation disruptions; finds mostly polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene microplastics in blood; links higher microplastic levels to use of plastic containers, impaired blood clotting and increased inflammation, suggesting potential cardiovascular risks
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 5, 2024
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a large part of the diet of many people. This background article lays out the different ways researchers classify an ultra-processed food, what is known about the chemical migration from food contact materials to UPFs, and evidence related to human health effects of UPFs and food contact chemicals.
Reading time: 14 minutes
October 24, 2024
Article connects the dots between two global challenges: plastics and ultra-processed foods (UPFs); authors highlight how plastics have enabled the mass production of low-cost UPFs, leading to widespread health and environmental harms; emphasize that thousands of chemicals from plastic packaging migrate into food, many of which are hazardous and inadequately tested; urge joint efforts to tackle both issues, suggesting that addressing plastics and UPFs together could lead to more effective solutions
Reading time: 2 minutes
September 17, 2024
New research from the Food Packaging Forum looks at food contact chemicals (FCCs) that have been detected in humans; compares known FCCs with human biomonitoring programs, metabolome/exposome databases and the scientific literature; 3,601 FCCs have evidence of presence in humans, including chemicals with hazardous properties; comes with interactive dashboard to browse all data
Reading time: 2 minutes
June 28, 2024
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) report outlines four key challenge areas concerning chemicals regulation in the EU; discusses protection against most harmful chemicals, particularly those inducing neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption; underscores the need for data transparency and a “lack of comprehensive information on many substances”, particularly polymers
Reading time: 2 minutes
June 6, 2024
European Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes document to guide designers and assessors through the application of the voluntary Safe and Sustainable by Design framework; describes the steps of the framework, how to define system, frequently asked questions, and suggestions for where to find more information; following framework does not guarantee EU regulatory compliance; European Commission accepting feedback until August 30, 2024
Reading time: 1 minute
April 5, 2024
Study provides an in-depth look at microplastics in the male reproductive system, analyzes human and mouse samples to chart concentrations and polymer types; finds microplastics in all human testes samples and majority of semen samples; larger plastic particles may get trapped in testis, leading to higher concentrations; identifies correlation between urbanization, home-cooked meals, and body scrub used to microplastics concentration
Reading time: 3 minutes
February 9, 2024
Three studies investigate micro- and nanoplastics – source, organ deposition, and reproductive effects; detect up to 240,000 plastic particles/L in bottled water with 90% being nanoplastics; find microplastics in human lung, intestine, and kidney tissues; polyethylene particles found to affect placental function in mice
Reading time: 2 minutes
