Research shows trace amounts of toxic substances in plastic don’t contaminate F&B products
It did claim however, plastic products may cause health concerns after they’ve been used and thrown away.
Properly sourced plastics & increase recycling
The findings highlight the need to use properly sourced plastics and increase recycling efforts to reduce the overall environmental impact, said Keith Vorst, associate professor, food science and human nutrition, Iowa State.
Vorst said toxic materials such as heavy metals leach out of the plastic as the products decay over a span of years, creating “end-of-life” problems.
If the plastics make their way to a landfill or water, the heavy metals they contain may pollute drinking water or have other environmental repercussions, he added.
“We found these metals are in the packaging, but they’re not getting into the food or beverage products,” said Vorst.
“But we did turn up end-of-life issues. As the plastic breaks down, the heavy metals can be released.”
His lab conducted experiments on a range of plastics, exposing them to heat, microwaves and various pH and acidic levels.
Journal of Plastic Film and Sheeting
The results published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Plastic Film and Sheeting, showed the products contained in the plastics are safe for human consumption.
He highlighted heavy metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium and antimony as the most common concerns.
Those metals can cause health problems such as neurological and renal damage in humans exposed to high enough levels.
The metals make their way into the plastic products when they’re used as catalysts during production or when recycled plastic is exposed to the metals during the reclamation process.
Vorst leads the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State, to strengthen food safety and improve the function of polymeric materials like plastics.
His lab has looked at ways to use recycled plastic containers to filter out light to keep produce looking fresh on grocery store shelves and he is currently studying gases released by microwave popcorn.
“Manufacturers want to know about innovations that might make their products safer and their processes more efficient,” added Vorst.
“We try to provide the research that will improve these products for the industry as well as the consumer.”
