We are often warned to limit our consumption of processed, packaged foods because of the nutritional quality. Now, some scientists are raising concerns about chemicals in the packaging.
Materials used in in food containers such as plastic bags, the coatings in cans or the laminate in beverage cartons can migrate into the food. Although levels are very low, epidemiologists have become concerned about chronic exposure to compounds such as formaldehyde in plastic bottles made of PET or endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A or triclosan. The health impact of these chemicals is currently unknown, but research now underway in Europe should shed some light on it within a few years.
[Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, online Feb 20, 2014]
To learn more about endocrine disrupting compounds and their role in food packaging, you may wish to listen to our radio shows about soup, everyday exposures, or the basic science on endocrine disruption.
