A new review is the first to reveal the extent of human exposure to food contact chemicals (FCC), with 3,601 chemicals used in food packaging and other food contact articles having been found in human bodies. The authors say this review also highlights significant gaps in biomonitoring and toxicity data. In a new study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, scientists describe the widespread human exposure to food contact chemicals (FCCs).
The research reveals which chemicals used in food packaging and other food contact articles have been found in human samples, such as urine, blood, and breast milk. It also highlights significant gaps in biomonitoring and toxicity data. The data is made available in an interactive tool, the FCChumon database , which was compiled by a team of researchers from the Food Packaging Forum, together with colleagues from four academic institutions.
In a systematic approach, the authors compared over 14,000 known FCCs with data from five human biomonitoring programs, three metabolome/exposome databases, and the scientific literature. This revealed evidence of 3,601 FCCs present in humans, representing 25% of the known FCCs. Dr.
Birgit Geueke, co-author of the study, says, "Our research establishes a link between food contact chemicals, exposure and human health. It highlights those chemicals that have been overlooked in biomonitoring studies so far. And it highlights an important opportunity for prevention and .