Studies of food contact materials relatively regularly measure endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) migrating from food contact materials (FCMs; FPF reported also here and here). The Food Packaging Forum’s Database on migrating and extractable food contact chemicals (FCCmigex) includes 11 studies containing the word “endocrine” in the title and many more when searching for specific well-studied EDCs such as bisphenol A (BPA), or di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). However, the FCCmigex can only provide an overview by material type and not by packaging type.
On March 28, 2024, Fariba Abbasi of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Iran and co-authors published in the journal Chemosphere a review of EDCs migrating into beverages from FCMs. Abbasi et al. found over fifty studies published since January 2000 investigating plasticizers (i.e. phthalates), bisphenols, hormone-like compounds (i.e. estrogen), certain endocrine-disrupting elements, or other synthetic organic EDCs (e.g., UV stabilizers, surfactants). For each reviewed study, they took note of the FCMs and beverages investigated as well as the range of EDC concentrations measured in each beverage.
The beverages were grouped into dairy products (different types of milk, canned milk and other dairy drinks), hot drinks (coffee and tea), and cold drinks (e.g., soft drinks, beer, juices). The concentrations of EDC migration were “associated with the type of food contact materials (FCMs) and their migration rate is increased with acidity, temperature, and storage time” (FPF reported). Polymer films had the greatest number of detected phthalates while canned beverages had the most BPA.
The authors found by far the most studies on BPA and phthalates, however this was at least partially due to the search parameters which included generic EDC- and packaging-related words but also “bisphenol a” and “phthalates”. Other studies may have come to light if all known EDCs in FCMs were similarly targeted.
The authors did a simple risk assessment based off the mean of the EDC concentrations in the included studies, global averages of beverage consumption, and an assumed 60kg bodyweight. This simple assessment found that all the measured EDCs were at concentrations below tolerable daily intake, but the authors note there are other parallel exposure sources of EDCs in food and water and “more research is needed to determine the potential risk of EDCs due to releasing from FCMs.”
A review in 2023 made several policy recommendations to address health impacts from EDCs by reducing exposure, noting that although regulatory bodies have defined EDC properties, they have not operationalized them in policies (FPF reported).
Reference
Abbasi, F. et al. (2024). “A review of endocrine disrupting chemicals migration from food contact materials into beverages.” Chemosphere. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141760
