Chemistry, asked by sultan4604, 1 year ago

Plastic packaging and its effects on food stuffs essay

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Answered by harshitha16732
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Many of the synthetic chemicals involved in packaging and storing the food we eat can leak into it, potentially harming our long-term health, say environmental scientists in a paper published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Although some of these chemicals are regulated, people come into contact with them almost every day through packaged or processed foods. The authors of the commentary note that exposure is low, but it is chronic, as many of us eat such foods throughout our lives.

Food contact materials (FCMs) are usually made of plastic or contain a synthetic material that is in direct contact with foods. This includes coating, laminate in beverage cartons or the closures of glass jars.

Too little is known about the long-term impact of chronic exposure to these FCMs, say the authors, who add:

"These facts may be of relevance to scientists interested in the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis (DOHaD), life-course effects of in utero and childhood environmental exposures, plasticity, epigenetics and related processes."

The team cites three main reasons for why long-term exposure to these chemicals "is a cause for concern."

'Consumers exposed to known toxicants'

The first cause for concern, say the authors, is that certain "known toxicants" - including formaldehyde, a substance known to cause cancer - are used legally in FCMs. Plastic bottles used for carbonated drinks, for example, usually contain low levels of formaldehyde.

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