Food packaging bags have chemical hazards

The British "Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health" recently published a study stating that chemical components in "food contact materials" such as can internal coatings, paper packaging materials, and glass jar seals will penetrate into food in small amounts, and high temperatures and material differences and food storage time will accelerate the penetration of these ingredients. Although some of these chemicals are regulated, consumers are still "exposed to synthetic chemicals over a long period of time, including during children's sensitive growth and development years."

At present, 4,000 food contact materials have been found to contain harmful ingredients such as endocrine disruptors, which can lead to decreased fertility, endometriosis in women, and various cancers. In the United States, asbestos is often used as an indirect food additive to produce rubber; some plastic bottles and tableware contain the carcinogen formaldehyde. Countless people buy canned drinks every day, and the impact is huge and hard to detect.

The research report calls for further analysis of the use of chemicals throughout the food production process and packaging materials, and to understand consumption habits such as household food storage methods and people's preferences for food packaging. Catherine Itman, a researcher at the University of Newcastle, said: "Chemicals facilitate people's pursuit of delicious food. Although more and more studies have found that chemical contamination of food can cause harm to human health, how chemicals affect the body We know very little about how it works, what causes disease, and who is susceptible."

But some experts have questioned the report. Ian Musgrave, a pharmacologist at the University of Adelaide, believes the report exaggerates the dangers of formaldehyde in food packaging. He said: "Many foods contain natural formaldehyde. To decompose the formaldehyde in 100 grams of apples requires at least 20 liters of mineral water in polyester bottles. According to this, fresh fruits and vegetables should also be marked with 'may cause cancer'. We must not underestimate harmful packaging. The material may potentially contaminate food, but this possibility is minimal. The report did not focus on physiological and other health hazards, but blindly emphasized the hazards of trace penetration of formaldehyde.”

Ian Rae, emeritus professor at the University of Melbourne, said while chemical toxicology is well-researched, we know relatively little about the long-term effects that small doses of chemicals may have. He said: "Manufacturers have felt the pressure and started to switch to safe materials. Proactively catering to market rules is a smart operation.

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