To avoid the ongoing impact of plastic on the environment, we’re seeing brands and manufacturers switch from plastic packaging to paper-based alternatives. Manufacturers are working to ensure sufficient product protection and effective wrapping techniques to produce a robust, appealing and sustainable solution. Yet one concern remains: the presence of chemicals.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as forever chemicals, pose an ongoing risk to consumers. PFAS are hazardous chemicals often found in food packaging, such as sweet wrappers or popcorn bags. They can travel from food contact materials onto the food we eat and into our bodies.
While taking measures to address plastic pollution is not in question, does the industry also need to tackle one packaging-wide issue, PFAS?
Giving the environment green light to paper over plastic
Plastic pollution is a well-documented concern in the confectionery sector. Research shows that less than 10% of the globe’s plastic is recycled. Waste without recyclability then ends up impacting our planet. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 79% of these products go to landfills or the wider natural environment, and approximately 12% are incinerated.
Legislation and initiatives like the European Union’s (EU) Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUDP) and the UNDP-recommended Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) highlight the plastic pollution problem, encouraging brands and manufacturers to create more plastic-free packaging options. Despite its proposed delay, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) highlights the plight for more environmentally friendly business practices that prioritise sustainable operations.
PFAS in food packaging: New research
A recent scientific paper, published on 24th September 2024, published in Frontiers in Toxicology, explores breast carcinogens detected in food-contact materials (FCMs). Highlighting a lack of regulatory protection, the study “Potential mammary carcinogens used in food contact articles: Implications for policy, enforcement, and prevention”, raises public health concerns.
The researchers found that of the 189 potential breast carcinogens detected in FCMs, 143 were found in plastics and 89 in paper or board. Three of the potential breast carcinogens were PFAS: bisphenol AF, 8:2 FTOH, and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA). The researchers detected all three chemicals in paper or board packaging. Of the three, 8:2 FTOH was identified as the most prevalent chemical in paper and board materials.
Plastic appears to be a big culprit too, with the researchers stating there is strong evidence connecting 76 potential mammary carcinogens from FCMs bought around the globe to highly probable human exposure. Of these 61 (80%) of the chemicals came from plastic FCMs, indicating the role FCMs and consumers’ current diets play in discovering carcinogens.
“PFAS are still intentionally used in some food-contact articles, as indicated by high concentrations of total organic fluorine,” says Birgit Geueke, Senior Scientific Officer at the Food Packaging Forum and co-author of the paper. “In other articles, PFAS are contaminants that may originate from recycling or processing steps. Usually, the levels are lower if they are not intentionally added,” Geueke shares.
“Our recent review article on PFAS in food packaging shows that PFAS has been mainly detected in paper and board packaging,” Geueke says. “So, the absence of PFAS would need to be confirmed before shifting to this material,” adds Geueke.
Regulations designed to limit harmful chemicals in FCMs exist in countries worldwide, including the EU, US, China and South America. However, suspected and confirmed carcinogens are still found in food packaging bought in those regions. The researchers state that 40 of the 76 recently detected suspected mammary carcinogens are already classified as hazardous by various international regulatory agencies. Yet, they are still found in food packaging.
Better regulations needed
In the study, scientific research organisation Silent Spring Institute and Food Packaging Forum combined datasets. “The information contained in both datasets comes largely from publicly accessible sources, but it took considerable effort from both civil society organisations to assemble it,” says Lindsey Parkinson, Data Scientist and Scientific Editor at the Food Packaging Forum and co-author of the study. “Then, to use it here to underscore a problem that likely should have been mitigated by existing regulations,” Parkinson adds.
The study’s authors recommend implementing a generic risk management approach (GRA) for FCMs. They advocate for the GRA to focus on a chemical’s intrinsic hazard properties instead of estimates of human exposure levels. The 2024 PlastChem report also supports a hazard-based approach to identify groups of plastic chemicals to manage their safety.
“Such a fundamental shift in chemical risk management could prevent exposure to a broader range of hazardous chemicals for a larger part of the population, ultimately resulting in better public health protection by preventing cancer,” the Food Packaging Forum said in a recent press release.
