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Tackling the toxics in plastics packaging | JoVE Visualize

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Tackling the toxics in plastics packaging

¹Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland.

Plos Biology|March 30, 2021

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Plastic packaging leaches harmful chemicals into food, contributing to pollution and human exposure. Improving chemical assessment and innovating systemic solutions are crucial for food safety and environmental health.

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Food Safety
Toxicology

Background:

Plastic packaging is a major contributor to global plastic pollution.
Current end-of-life solutions like recycling or paper alternatives often overlook chemical migration.
Chemicals of concern can transfer from packaging into foodstuffs, entering the human diet.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the issue of chemical migration from plastic food packaging into food.
To discuss the inadequacy of current toxicity assessments for chemicals in food packaging.
To propose future directions for addressing chemical contamination from food packaging.

Main Methods:

Literature review and discussion of existing scientific knowledge on chemical migration.
Analysis of current practices in chemical safety assessment for food packaging.
Exploration of potential innovative strategies for systemic change.

Main Results:

Chemical migration from plastic packaging into food is scientifically undisputed.
Plastic packaging is a significant source of human exposure to synthetic, hazardous chemicals.
Existing toxicity assessment methods for food packaging chemicals are insufficient.

Conclusions:

Addressing chemical contamination requires systemic change beyond recycling or material substitution.
Improved toxicity assessments are needed for chemicals present in food packaging.
Future innovations must integrate knowledge to tackle both plastic pollution and chemical migration.

Materials Engineering

Polymers And Plastics

Tackling The Toxics In Plastics Packaging