Migration of endocrine-disrupting chemicals into food from plastic packaging materials: an overview of chemical risk assessment, techniques to monitor migration, and international regulations

Abstract

Plastic packaging materials (PPMs) protect food from contamination, maintain quality, and ease transportation and distribution. Additives included during the manufacturing and processing of PPMs improve flexibility, durability, barrier properties, and sometimes aid the processing itself. During processing, these additives, even the monomers used to produce the plastics, can produce side products or breakdown products as a result of degradation and various chemical reactions. These starting substances and reaction products include 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A), phthalates/phthalic acid esters, alkylphenols, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, which are considered endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that may interfere with the human endocrine system and produce adverse reproductive, neurological, developmental, and immune effects. When in contact with food, EDCs can migrate into food if conditions are appropriate, thereby possibly jeopardizing food safety. Chemical risk assessment and regulatory control were developed to reduce human exposure to harmful migrated EDCs. This article gives an overview of the migration of EDCs from PPMs and control measures to reduce the risk of adverse impacts on human health.

Keywords:

• chemical migration
• plastic packaging material
• endocrine-disrupting chemical
• chemical risk assessment

Disclosure statement

The authors confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a short-term grant from Universiti Sains Malaysia (grant no. 304/PTEKIND/6313327).