Over 1,200 chemicals in food packaging linked to serious health dangers

A new peer-reviewed study has found that 1,222 of over 15,000 chemicals used in food packaging pose serious health risks, including cancer and reproductive harm, according to a report by Mother Jones, originally published by Inside Climate News. Led by the Food Packaging Forum Foundation, researchers found 87 percent of chemicals examined lack sufficient public data to assess risk.

The highest-priority Tier 1 list includes 94 chemicals like PFAS, styrene, phthalates, and bisphenol A already detected in human blood and breast milk. Study co-author Jane Muncke called the lack of transparency “the elephant in the room,” noting regulators don’t require full safety testing before market approval.