Food contact materials (MOCAs) that we use every day can harm our health if used incorrectly. SAFE, Food Advocacy Europe has prepared a practical guide to their proper use. (1)
The hazards of food contact materials
Risks related to various food-contact materials involve-in addition to environmental impact-the potential migration of toxic chemicals from containers to food and beverages.
Many of these substances are added intentionally, in manufacturing. Others, however, remain there as impurities, contaminants, by-products of the recycling process etc.
The cocktail effect–related to combined (and repeated) exposure to multiple chemicals, through food contact materials and other sources–can increase public health risks.
Inadequate and deficient rules
European legislation on MOCAs is essentially limited to a general regulation, reg. EC 1935/2004, and to the regulation of plastic materials (EC Reg. 2023/2006). General criteria are defined, including the creation of a list of substances authorized in the EU and specific migration limits.
However, the EU rules are deficient in two respects:
– risk assessment is inadequate, as repeatedly pointed out by toxicologists and researchers engaged in this field,
– many categories of food contact materials are still without harmonized rules. From metals (e.g., stainless steel) and printing inks, cardboard and paperboard, dyes and solvents used in plastics, etc. Also absent are regulations on alternative materials to single-use plastics, which may also be less sustainable than assumed.
Plastic
Packaging accounts for 40 percent of the plastic produced. Demand for plastics in Europe has grown to 57.9 million tons in 2019. And Western Europeans use 136 kg per capita each year, three times the world average (45 kg). With significant impact on, among other things, greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Chemical risk is established, especially when disposable containers are misused. A category that is widely present in the homes of Italians and altogether contains 12,000 toxic chemicals with various toxicity profiles, such as the ubiquitous-and overlooked-endocrine disruptors.
How to reduce risks
Four tricks can help reduce human exposure to harmful substances that can migrate into food from plastic food contact materials:
– Use bottles, dishes and food containers made of materials other than plastic, such as glass and metal,
– Buy fresh foods in bulk instead of those packaged in plastic,
– Try to buy bulk foods. Some are readily available (cereals, legumes, nuts, cookies), especially in more sensitive countries (e.g., France),
– Avoid reheating or reusing containers designed as disposables (the ice cream box, for example) for other foods, particularly hot and/or fatty foods.
Recycled plastic
Recycled plastic bottles, containers, tableware and other food materials are considered sustainable because they are made from waste plastic. But they are by no means risk-free.
These materials are regulated by Regulation (EC) 282/2008, however, which is limited to requiring the adoption of EFSA-approved processes authorized by the European Commission.
The European legislature has not provided a list of recycled plastics allowed in food contact materials, nor does it involve independent researchers in reviewing scientific data.
Major risks of chemical migration
There is evidence that hazardous chemicals are more likely to be found in recycled plastic than in virgin plastic. This depends on several factors, such as contamination caused by consumers’ misuse and reuse of materials, but also the use of materials unsuitable for recycling.
Migration of toxic chemicals into food may therefore be higher when using recycled plastic, as shown in a comparative test of virgin and recycled plastic oil bottles. (2)
The worst contaminants
Some of the worst contaminants that can migrate into food include.
– flame retardants. Typical of e-waste, they are also detected in some food contact materials, such as coffee stir sticks or thermal cup lids. The probability of contamination is higher in black recycled plastic food materials,
– Heavy metals. Detected in trace amounts in recycled plastic bottles and straws, they are feared for harmful effects on kidneys and bones, as well as neurological disorders and increased blood pressure,
– Endocrine disruptors. Migration into water from recycled PET (rPET) bottles is higher in comparison with that from virgin PET bottle. (3)
How to distinguish recycled plastic
Recycled plastic materials are easily identified by the presence on the label of claims boasting their sustainability. Recycling involves three polymers:
1 – PET, Polyethylene Terephtalate. Recovered from sugary water and beverage bottles, salad trays, kitchen paper, vegetable oil bottles. Recycled into shopping bags, bottles and food containers.
2 – HDPE, High-Density Polyethylene. Used in milk and juice bottles, yogurt pots and grocery bags, it is recycled into vegetable oil bottles,
6 – PS, Polystyrene (or Styrofoam). Used to make disposable plates and cups, meat trays, and egg and takeout containers, it is recycled into egg containers. It remains a difficult material to recycle.
The half-liter PET water bottle noticeably has a higher concentration of plasticizers in comparison with the same brand in 1.5- or 2-liter bottles. (4)
Aluminum, lightweight and durable
Aluminum is durable, not afraid of corrosion, and is good thermal conductor. This light metal is widely found in food materials, both in cooking utensils and packaging. It is used to make pots, cans, disposable pans and sheets, and coffee capsules.
However, the production of this material has a strong environmental impact. Indeed, it requires a lot of energy, consumes a lot of water, and produces high amounts of highly polluting residues (arsenic, titanium, chromium, lead, vanadium, and mercury).
Health risks
Human exposure to aluminum occurs through consumption of tap water and food, including through migration from food materials (Reg. 10/2011 sets limits).
Ingesting small amounts of aluminum poses no risk; the body assimilates some and eliminates the rest through the kidneys. High amounts, however, can harm the nervous system and bones. Some studies also indicate a correlation with Alzheimer’s disease, but the evidence is not unambiguous.
Usage tips
To reduce exposure to aluminum, certain precautions should be observed:
– Avoid prolonged contact with acidic and/or salty foods, such as tomato, rhubarb, salted herring.
– remember that contact with food at room temperature should not exceed 24 hours, unless the food is dry, such as pasta, spices etc,
– Ditch aluminum coffee capsules and return to mocha, possibly stainless steel,
– Preserve the protective layer of aluminum coffee filters by avoiding washing them in the dishwasher.
Fast-food containers
All water- and oil-repellent food materials may contain PFAS, a very large family of chemical compounds. This is the case with fast-food containers and take-out food in general, as well as nonstick pans, which sometimes contain these contaminants while claiming their absence, as we have seen.
PFAS exposure is associated with the occurrence of cancer and impacts the immune, reproductive and hormonal systems, as well as reducing the effectiveness of vaccines.
Protective measures are simply to avoid that type of food material, choose only that which is declared as PFAS-free, and urge commercial operators to discard them and institutions to ban them.
The plant-based packaging
Bamboo, palm leaves, paper and plant fibers are often used to make food materials: bowls, cups, plates etc. They are proposed as a sustainable alternative to plastic, but they are not always recommended.
Mixing plant materials with plastics and other elements, in fact, negates the coveted compostability of these products and increases the risk of chemical migration into food.
The possible contaminations
These food materials have been identified in several studies as being contaminated with health-damaging chemicals.
PFAS. They have been identified in MOCAs in molded fibers (which hold their shape), paper straws and palm leaf tableware. (5)
Chloropropane. This carcinogen is used in paper packaging and can migrate into contained liquids. (6)
Pesticide residues. Molecules known to be endocrine disruptors and other pesticides banned in the EU were found (a sign that the food materials were imported from outside the EU).
Formaldehyde. This carcinogen is the result of combining bamboo and corn fibers with melamine, a plastic often added in the making of ‘plant-based’ containers.
How to protect yourself
The measures to be taken are.
– Avoid products made with bamboo/maize and melamine,
– remember that melamine tableware should not be used for hot food or placed in microwaves and dishwashers,
– Be wary of such ‘eco-friendly‘ claims and do not throw these food materials in the organic waste collection,
– As always, try to use metal or glass food materials. The latter is the best option for food contact.
Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) SAFE, Safe Food Advocacy Europe. Food Contact Materials. Guidelines for safe use for consumes. https://www.safefoodadvocacy.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2.-FCM-guidelines-for-consumers-1.pdf
(2) Kanwal, Fozia & Waraich, S.M. & Jamil, T.. (2007). FT-IR analysis of recycled polystyrene for food packaging. Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan. 29. 239-242. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287274248_FT-IR_analysis_of_recycled_polystyrene_for_food_packaging
(3) Marta Strinati. Recycled PET, more chemicals migrate from bottles to beverages. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade), 3/21/22. https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/imballaggi-e-moca/pet-riciclato-pi%C3%B9-sostanze-chimiche-migrano-dalle-bottiglie-alle-bevande_1
(4) Szilvia Keresztes, Enikő Tatár, Zsuzsanna Czégény, Gyula Záray, Victor G. Mihucz, (2013). Study on the leaching of phthalates from polyethylene terephthalate bottles into mineral water. Science of The Total Environment, Volumes 458-460, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.04.056
(5) J. Strakovà, J. Schneider, N. Cingotti. Throwaway Packaging, Forever Chemicals: European wide survey of PFAS in disposable food packaging and tableware. Arnika https://arnika .org/en/publications/throwaway-packaging-forever-chemicals-european-wide-survey-of-pfas-in-disposable-food-packaging-and-tableware
BEUC. Towards safe and sustainable food packaging. 2021, https://www.beuc.eu/publications/beuc-x-2021-050_towards_safe_and_sustainable_fcm._report.pdf
(6) Korte R, Schulz S, Brauer B. Chloropropanols (3-MCPD, 1,3-DCP) from food contact materials: GC-MS method improvement, market survey and investigations on the effect of hot water extraction. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2021 Jun;38(6):904-913. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2021.1903569. Epub 2021 Apr 19. PMID: 33872118. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33872118/
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
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