Albert Anguera Sempere, food packaging and human health

1. As consumers, how concerned should we be about the presence of the chemicals identified in your study that are present in the food packaging we use every day?

More than 2,100 different chemicals have scientific evidence demonstrating their migration from packaging into food. Around 100 of these substances have undergone comprehensive assessments of their hazards to human health, while for most there is insufficient data to fully understand their potential effects. These exposures are usually low and do not cause immediate acute effects; however, long-term repeated exposure to such mixtures of chemicals may contribute to the development of adverse health effects.

2. Which chemicals should we be most concerned about?

The substances of greatest concern are those for which there is scientific evidence of both migration from packaging and hazardous properties associated with serious health effects. This includes groups such as bisphenols, phthalates, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known for their ability to act as endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, or reproductive toxins. At the same time, it is important to recognise that many other substances migrate from packaging, but there is insufficient data to assess their potential health effects.

3. Are there differences in the amounts of chemicals detected in different packaging depending on the area of origin?

The migration of chemicals from packaging into food has been detected in various regions of the world and in multiple types of materials, indicating that this is a global source of exposure.
However, the available research is not evenly distributed: most studies come from Europe, North America and some parts of Asia. Due to this imbalance, our data does not allow for a systematic comparison of the amounts of migrating chemicals by region on a global scale. More research is needed to better characterise food packaging in other global markets and understand how it affects the health of their populations.

4. How might these chemicals specifically affect the risk of developing breast cancer or the development of any other type of cancer or disease?

Substances with hazardous properties, such as mutagenicity, genotoxicity or endocrine-disrupting activity, can influence the development of diseases by interfering with human biological processes. Mutagenic and genotoxic substances can damage DNA and lead to mutations that increase the likelihood of developing cancer over time. Endocrine disruptors can interfere with hormonal signalling, which regulates key functions such as growth, development, reproduction and essential physiological processes. Disruption of these signals has been associated with risks of hormone-dependent cancers, including breast cancer.

5. In what type of food packaging can we most frequently find these types of substances?

Most scientific evidence on chemical migration comes from complex, non-inert materials such as plastics, paper and cardboard, or multilayer packaging. In contrast, more inert materials such as glass, vitrified ceramics or stainless steel tend to release fewer chemicals because their structure acts as an effective barrier.

6. Are there differences depending on whether these containers are made from virgin or recycled materials? What role does recycling play in this issue?

Yes, depending on the material, there may be differences. In the case of glass and metals, the heat applied during recycling destroys contaminants from, for example, labels, caps or food residues. However, when less inert materials such as plastics, paper or cardboard are recycled, chemical contaminants cannot be removed as easily. Recycling these materials often produces products with lower mechanical strength, requiring the addition of additives to restore their functionality. Furthermore, if the waste stream is not properly sorted, contaminants can be incorporated into the recycled materials, increasing their chemical load.
Finally, recycling non-inert materials can make them more prone to releasing chemicals compared to virgin materials.

7. How are these substances able to migrate from packaging to food? What quantities are we talking about?

Studies conducted over the past 50 years have shown that chemicals can migrate from packaging into food under normal conditions of use, especially when they are not firmly bound to the material. The extent of this migration depends on several factors:

1. Type of material: More inert materials such as glass, vitrified ceramics and stainless steel act as effective barriers. Non-inert materials such as plastics or paper and cardboard allow greater migration.
2. Temperature: When food is served hot or heated directly in non-inert containers, the transfer of substances increases.
3. Package size: Small containers have a higher surface-to-volume ratio, which increases migration.
4. Contact time: The longer a food remains in its packaging, the greater the opportunity for migration..
5. Type of food: Fatty or acidic foods can facilitate the absorption of chemicals from the packaging.

For plastic materials in contact with food, Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 establishes an overall migration limit of 60 mg per kg of food, in addition to specific limits for many authorised substances.

8. What is the basis for suggesting that current regulations may be insufficient to protect consumer health?

Scientific evidence shows several limitations in current regulations on materials in contact with food. First, regulatory assessments focus primarily on intentionally added substances, while non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) such as impurities, contaminants or degradation products remain largely uncharacterised. Secondly, many assessments are based on outdated toxicological data that do not reflect the latest scientific advances. Thirdly, some assessments omit health-relevant effects, such as endocrine disruption. Finally, regulations tend to evaluate substances individually, although in practice we are exposed to complex mixtures that could generate adverse effects even at levels lower than those expected for isolated substances.

9. Numerous studies seem to confirm the damage that the use of certain chemicals causes to our health. Why do you think the food industry continues to use these types of materials?

The current food system is largely designed around the use of single-use packaging, such as plastics or paper and cardboard. These complex, non-inert materials are widely used because they are inexpensive to produce and are designed to fit into long, globalised supply chains. However, their use generates waste and pollution on a global scale.
Transitioning to a more circular, reuse-based system with greater use of inert materials would significantly reduce these impacts, but would require significant infrastructure investment.
Currently, there are insufficient economic and legal incentives for industry to implement these changes.

10. According to the response from the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency to our requests for regulation of this type of substance, we were informed that work is currently underway at European Union level to review the legislative framework applicable to materials in contact with food. Can consumers trust that this review will be sufficiently rapid and ambitious to protect our health once and for all?

The European Commission is currently reviewing the regulations on materials in contact with food, a process that has been underway for several years. So far, the Commission has identified three pillars for
improving the safety and sustainability of these materials: (1) Refocusing attention on the final article, (2) Prioritising substances using a risk-based approach, and (3) Supporting more sustainable alternatives.
We have provided technical input into this process and published a vision for improving the assessment of end products. However, it remains highly uncertain what specific regulatory changes
will ultimately be proposed.

11. What measures can consumers take to avoid these substances?

Evidence shows that exposure to chemicals can be reduced by prioritising fresh foods over highly processed foods and reducing fast food consumption.
When packaged foods must be consumed, it is preferable to choose options sold in inert materials. Otherwise, it is advisable to avoid very small containers and not to heat food
directly in non-inert containers or receptacles, such as plastic, paper, or cardboard. Recycled non-inert materials may contain a wider range of substances and exhibit higher migration levels than their virgin counterparts.