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Though the danger is low, there is growing proof that food is often contaminated by harmful chemicals from some varieties of plastic. Seve...

Plastic Food Packaging: An Emerging Threat

Though the danger is low, there is growing proof that food is often contaminated by harmful chemicals from some varieties of plastic. Several foods are packaged in these risky plastics – together with fresh meat, gourmet cheese, and even some healthy foods and organic vegetables.  Plastic may also contain abundant smaller molecules that are absolved to migrate into the food it is in contact with. The plastic will deliberately degrade, releasing distinct chemicals which may be added to the plastic to provide it with the decent mechanical properties.

BPA are endocrine disruptors, which means they'll mimic the body's natural hormones and thereby cause a raft of health issues.  Infants and well as very young are most susceptible to exposure owing to their lower weight and since their growth and development are strongly influenced by hormones; the consequences on health may be long. These effects are seen evidently and systematically in experiments with animals, and once individuals or wildlife are unwittingly exposed to lofty levels of endocrine disruptors. While these compounds are without a doubt unsafe at high levels of exposure, scientific opinion is split over the danger from the much lower levels that we're exposed to every day in our food. There is, yet, thriving scientific proof that alike at these minor levels of vulnerability, phthalates and BPA could also be inflicting concern corresponding to infertility, obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease and diabetes.


The use of plastics for wrapping or packaging foods is ruled by the Food Standards Code,  that sets a limit for the extent allowable in the food of highly toxic vinyl chloride monomer nevertheless no specific limits for BPA, DEHA or phthalates. These compounds come below an imprecise clause during this code that prohibits materials "likely to cause bodily harm, distress or discomfort".  Consumers living in Europe and North America are better protected.

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