Scientists Create Public Database of Hundreds of Food Packaging Chemicals Found in Humans
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Based on a comprehensive review of available biomonitoring science, researchers with the Food Packaging Forum have compiled a publicly available database of chemicals in food contact materials (FCMs) that have been detected in human samples.
More than 1,800 food contact chemicals (FCCs) are known to migrate from FCMs used to store, process, package, and serve foods—exposing humans to these chemicals through the consumption of food. Many FCCs are understood to be hazardous to human health, or have not been tested for toxicity at all.
Historically, human exposure assessment for FCCs has primarily focused on a few chemicals of concern, such as bisphenols, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, mineral oil hydrocarbons, and heavy metals. However, thousands of FCCs are intentionally added during the manufacture of FCMs, and even more FCCs may be present in the final materials.
Because the full extent of human exposure to all FCCs is unknown, the researchers created the Database on Food Contact Chemicals Monitored in Humans (FCChumon) to close this gap in understanding.
For the creation of FCChumon, the researchers conducted a systematic overview of FCCs that have been monitored and detected in human biomonitoring studies and metabolome/exposome databases. Next, the researchers identified FCCs that are not included in the reviewed sources but are present in FCMs, per the Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex). Another literature review was conducted to find human biomonitoring studies on these remaining FCCs.
For 25 percent of the 3,601 total identified FCCs, the literature showed evidence of their presence in humans (e.g., in urine, blood, and breast milk samples), including 194 FCCs from biomonitoring programs, with 80 of these having hazard properties of high concern. Of the 3,528 FCCs found in metabolome/exposome databases, most were in the Blood Exposome Database.
For the 175 FCCs found in FCMs but not the biomonitoring or metabolome/exposome databases, the researchers found through a secondary literature search evidence for the presence in humans for 63 FCCs, 59 of which lack hazard data.
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The findings are summarized in the newly created, interactive FCChumon dashboard, which links to further information on migration and biomonitoring. The researchers hope that policymakers, public health researchers, and food industry decision-makers will use FCChumon to improve the safety of FCMs and reduce human exposure to hazardous FCCs.
FCChumon can be accessed here.
