Chemicals linked to breast cancer are found in food packaging

A shocking new study reveals that nearly 200 chemicals linked to breast cancer are being used in food packaging, and worse yet, dozens of carcinogens may find their way into the body.

“There is strong evidence that 76 known or probable breast carcinogens from food contact materials recently purchased around the world can be found in humans,” Jane Muncke, co-author of the study and managing director and chief science officer at the Forum. of Food Packaging. , a nonprofit foundation based in Zurich, told CNN this week.

The discovery comes amid a sharp increase in cancer diagnoses among young people. A January study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St.

Muncke asserts, “Removing these known or suspected carcinogens from our food supply is a huge opportunity for cancer prevention.”

Silent Spring Institute – a scientific research organization focused on the link between chemicals, women’s health and breast cancer — published a list in 2007 over 200 chemicals that can cause breast tumors in animals.

An update to the list earlier this year identified 921 potential carcinogens, including 642 chemicals believed to stimulate the production of estrogen or progesterone, known risk factors for breast cancer.

“The fact that so many potential breast carcinogens are present in food packaging and can migrate into our food is just one example of how many chemicals we are inadvertently exposed to every day,” Jenny Kay, a research scientist at Silent Spring, who co-authored the 2024 update, told CNN.

Published Monday in the journal Frontiers in Toxicology, this latest study compares the Silent Spring database of known breast cancer carcinogens with the Food Contact Chemicals Monitored in Humans (FCChumon) database.

Created by the Food Packaging Forum, FCChumon is a list of food contact chemicals that have been detected in human breast milk, blood, urine and other tissues.

“The new study took our list of potential breast carcinogens and compared it to their list of chemicals that have been found in food contact materials to find out which of the potential breast carcinogens might be making their way into people’s diets. ,” Kay told CNN. “This is a great way to prioritize chemicals for regulatory action.”

While the study found that the majority of carcinogen exposure was linked to plastic used in food packaging, 89 suspected carcinogens were found in paper and cardboard containers.

“Paper has additives such as emulsifiers and adhesives, say if the papers are glued together, or there is a plastic coating attached to the paper,” Muncke said.

Some of the chemicals identified in the study are PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in packaging, clothing, carpets, firefighting foam and even toilet paper since the 1950s. Because of the strong molecular bonds found in PFAS, they do not break down easily, and levels of PFAS build up over time in humans, animals, and the environment, giving them the name “forever chemicals.”

PFAS are used in food packaging to prevent liquids from seeping through the wrappers and are also found in the paint used in food containers.

Research on the health risks of PFAS is ongoing. However, studies conducted to date reveal potential health effects, including altered metabolism and fertility, decreased fetal growth, increased risk of being overweight or obese, increased risk of cancer, and weakening of the immune system.

“Packaging exists to protect and keep food safe for consumption,” Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy and federal affairs at the Consumer Brands Association, which represents the consumer products industry, told CNN.

“The FDA reviews and approves food contact substances through their scientific and risk-based system before they go on the market,” she continued. “The agency’s post-marketing review also provides ongoing safety analysis and regulation of approved substances.”

The FDA will hold a public meeting on Wednesday to present solutions for improving its post-market food analysis.

Meanwhile, Silent Spring says consumers can mitigate their risk of toxic exposure by:

• Removing fat and skin from meat and fish before cooking to avoid contaminants that may accumulate in the fat and draining fat that accumulates during cooking.
• Choosing smaller, younger seafood over larger, older seafood and avoiding canned food or wet food packaged in plastic or lined cardboard.
• Choosing organic produce, meat and dairy when possible.
• Avoid burning or scorching the meat.
• Microwaving and storing food in glass rather than plastic.
• Switching to a coffee maker with a glass or stainless steel press.
• Remove non-stick pans from your kitchen.
• Using glass or stainless steel water bottles instead of plastic.
• Do not drink from a water cooler supplied from a plastic jug.
• Using solid block or granular carbon filters to purify drinking water.