Whether they come from pizza boxes, baby bottles, non-stick pans, cans, plastic spatulas, French fry cones or soda cans, thousands of chemicals pass from food packaging and kitchen utensils into the human body. This is the conclusion of a vast, unprecedented study conducted by Swiss and American researchers and published this Tuesday in the scientific journal Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
By studying more than 14,000 chemicals contained in food packaging or kitchen utensils, and which therefore come into contact with food, the scientists noticed that no less than 3,601 of these substances, or 25%, could be detected on the skin, in urine, blood or breast milk. This is three times more than what the researchers expected before launching their study.
Dozens of substances dangerous to health
Heavy metals, phthalates, pesticides, volatile organic compounds… 80 of these 3,600 chemical products are even considered “extremely worrying,” according to the study. They are in fact known to be dangerous for human health since they are carcinogenic, mutagenic or even toxic for reproduction.
Among them, bisphenol A, sometimes still used in baby bottles, cans or cans, known to be an endocrine disruptor. Researchers also cite PFAS – these eternal pollutants present in certain non-stick pans or cake molds -, phthalates in plastic bottles, printing inks in baby food jars or even melamine resin in plastic tableware.
The study also warns of the presence of synthetic antioxidants in plastic takeaway packaging, for example. While there is currently little data on their dangerousness, they are suspected of being carcinogenic and potentially endocrine disruptors.
The regulation in question
The presence of these substances that can migrate into the body does not mean that the packaging and utensils concerned do not comply with the regulations in force, despite the danger of some of their components. “Our results will help to highlight these chemicals neglected in biomonitoring studies and to work towards creating safer food packaging,” hopes Birgit Geueke, researcher at the Food Packaging Forum and lead author of the study.
In France and at the European level, several attempts are underway. In June, for example, EU member states approved a proposal from the European Commission to gradually ban bisphenol A in materials in contact with foodstuffs. In the spring, French senators and deputies voted to restrict the manufacture and sale of products containing PFAS from 2026.
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