We are constantly exposed to a myriad of chemicals, many of which are invisible and silent, which can also enter our body through food. The food packagingfor example, increasingly widespread in our modern life, can be a vehicle for compounds used in the production of plastic, some of which associated with possible harmful effects on health.
To attract attention to this theme is a recent study conducted in Spain by the Environmental Diagnosis Institute and water studies (Idaea-Csic)which detected the presence of plasticizing additives in 85% of the 109 foods analyzed.
Published on Journal of Hazardous MaterialsThe research is part of the Expoplas project – supported by the Ministry of Spanish Science – and is among the most in -depth investigations so far carried out on the food exposure to these substances.
But let’s start from the beginning: What are plasticmen and why are they a risk?
The plasticmen are chemical compounds, such as organ -sided phthalates and foreign foreign, used to make plastic more flexible or more resistant. Some of them have long been known for their toxic effects, so much so that the industry has started to introduce alternatives considered less harmful. However, the “new” plasticizing are also showing potential negative effects on long -term health.
What the study discovered
The researchers analyzed a wide range of representative foods of the Spanish diet – including meat, dairy products, cereals, legumes, fruit, vegetables, sweets, children’s food – choosing them on the basis of national consumption.
The food -made foods were both bulk and packaged, and the results of the analyzes are clear: in most cases they were present traces of at least one plasticizerwith an average overall value of 61 nanograms per gram, and peaks that reach up to 22 micrograms per gram.
In all they have been identified 20 different plasticizing, with a clear prevalence of alternative ones to phthalates. The packaging materials played an important role but also the glass, considered generally safer, has however shown contaminations.
For adults, the average daily exposure is estimated at 288 nanograms per kilo of body weight, with meat as the main source (59%), followed by cereals, legumes and sweets. Although these values remain under the safety limits set by EFSA, the situation changes drastically for the little ones.
In the babies, The average exposure reaches 2262 ng/kg per day, while in Children from 1 to 3 years He stands at 1155 ng/kg. In both cases, scholars explain, The average daily intake of plasticizing exceeds the limits considered safe For at least two compounds: it Ftalato Dehp and the Ehdpp organophosphate. In three other cases, the values approach the risk thresholds dangerously. This is due to their low body weight and the consumption of specific foods, such as baby food and meat, which are among the main sources of exposure.
Although the average values do not exceed the limits, there are realistic scenarios in which small children are exposed to quantities higher than the recommended ones – said Julio Fernández Arribes, the first author of the study.
Not only plastic: even glass and heat also increase the risk of contamination
One of the most worrying aspects concerns ready -made dishes packaged in plastic containers. The study has shown that heating food in these containers, in the microwave or in the oven, can increase the concentration of plasticizing up to 50 times. And even if the values remain formally within the limits set by the European legislation, the authors of the study recommend avoiding the heating of food directly in these containers.
The study then highlighted that not only plastic, but also glass containers can be a source of contamination. In the glass jarsin fact, have been detected plasticmen probably from the polymer coatings of the metal caps: In total, the researchers identified 20 different ones, with variations related to the type of food and the brand.
The legislation
Currently the European legislation does not require direct limits to the amount of plasticizing additives present in food, but regulates only the migration of substances from materials in contact with food. However, according to Ethel Eljarrat, director of the Aidaea and co -author of the study, the time has come to make the legislation more severe.
We already know the harmful effects of some of these substances. More restrictive legislation is needed, especially to protect the most vulnerable groups – says Eljarrat.
In addition, the expert recalls that:
Food is only one of the exposure routes. Inhalation, ingestion of dust and skin contact are added to this. That’s why risk assessment should be more precautionary.
The researchers therefore ask that monitoring continues and that cumulative exposure is also taken into account through other streets, such as air and dust.
In the meantime, some practical precautions can reduce the risk of ingesting plasticizing: avoiding to heat foods in plastic containers, prefer bulk or packed foods in alternative materials, and above all pay more attention to foods intended for the little ones.
