It was revealed that chemicals in pizza boxes are not safe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finally decided to ban the use of at least three types of chemical additives to make commonly-used containers, such as pizza boxes and microwavable popcorn bags resistant to oil and water.
The new policy, which was made effective on Jan. 4, bans the use of three specific types of perfluoroalkyl ethyl containing food-contact substances (FCSs) as oil and water repellant for paperboards or paper. When these chemicals come in contact with aqueous and fatty foods, new evidence suggests that these can be potentially harmful to the health.
"The FDA's ban is an important first step – but just a first step – toward improving the safety of our food supply," said Erik Olson, director of the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) health program as he praised FDA's latest action.
"Now it should act on our petition to ban the seven other chemicals we believe – and government agencies such as the toxicology program at the National Institutes of Health have found – cause cancer," he added.
The action is in response to a petition initiated and filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Food Safety, Breast Cancer Fund, Environmental Working Group and Clean Water Action. It proposed to amend policies to no longer use three chemicals namely, Diethanolamine salts, Pentanoic acid and Perfluoroalkyl.
The final rule will take about 30 days after publication in the Federal Register and the process may include filing objections and public hearings, the FDA said.
What Are Perfluoroalkyl Ethyl Containing Food-Contact Substances (FCSs)?
Perfluoroalkyl substances are also known as perfluorochemicals (PFCs). These are chemicals widely used around the world and some of the most common products containing these chemicals are Teflon pans, non-stick cookware, food packaging, waterproof jackets, fire-fighting foams and some furniture fabrics.
Since it is widely used in many industries, health experts are looking into long-term effects on health. These chemicals are toxic or harmful to vertebrates such as fish, birds and mammals. Exposure to these chemicals can be through oral, dermal or inhalation routes.
Oral uptake is the most dangerous since 95 percent of the chemicals are absorbed in the body. With oral route as the most common, these chemicals can be derived from using water-proof cookware, food packaging and water.
FCSs Can Cause A Wide Array Of Health Problems
Upon review of the information, FDA confirmed that FCSs may cause reproductive and developmental toxicity. Aside from cancer, it may also increase the risk of birth defects. Exposure to FCSs, according to a report, may cause negative effects on humans as much as it affects laboratory animals in trials.
In general, there are various effects induced by exposure to these chemicals including alteration of lipid metabolism, changes in thyroid function and alteration of the immune system. It can also cause hormonal effects and developmental harm.
Past studies have also linked high levels of cholesterol levels in the blood with high levels of perfluoroalkyl substances. Cancer has also been observed in some organs of the body such as liver, pancreas, and reproductive organs in animal studies.
"As a result of this review, we concluded that data for subsets of long-chain PFCs (demonstrating biopersistence and reproductive and developmental toxicity) are applicable to long-chain PFCs on a general basis and that this data raises significant questions as to the safety of the authorized uses of the three FCSs subject to the petition," FDA stated in its report.
How To Avoid Exposure To Harmful Chemicals
To avoid being exposed to these harmful chemicals, it is important to watch for packaged food. Stay away from greasy or oily packaged fast foods because it often contains chemicals to repel oil and water.
Avoid using non-stick cookware because these contain chemicals. If you have the pans already, do not let it heat to above 450ºF and if they show signs of deterioration, discard them immediately.
Photo: Marc Wathieu | Flickr
