12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS
A new study has revealed that more than 3,600 chemicals that leach into food during the production, processing, packaging, and storage stages reach the human body, with some causing serious health problems.
According to the study published Monday in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 79 of the food-processing chemicals found in the body are known to cause cancer, genetic mutations, endocrine and reproductive issues, and other health problems.
Martin Wagner, a professor of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, told CNN, 'This is a very striking number and shows that food-contact materials are a significant source of chemicals in humans.'
'EVEN CHEMICALS COMPLIANT WITH REGULATIONS ARE RISKY'
Jane Muncke, managing director of the Switzerland-based Food Packaging Forum and lead author of the study, said that many more chemicals could be harmful in ways science does not yet understand.
Muncke said, 'We are not only measuring chemicals known to be used in the food production process, but also all the "contaminants"; that is, the byproducts we call unintentionally added substances.'
Pointing out that these chemicals can contaminate products even if they are not used in food packaging but are present in the environment, Muncke stated, 'These substances are always present in plastics, can and packaging coatings, printing inks, etc. They may not have a technical function in food processing, but they are still there and they pass into humans.'
Muncke noted that while food-contact materials may comply with current government regulations, the study emphasizes that these chemicals may not be entirely safe.
News Source: 12punto
