The Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology has published a study in which it found humans had been exposed to 3,601 food contact chemicals (FCCs) via foods. 

The objective of the study was to close the knowledge gap around just how many FCCs humans are exposed to via foods; FCCs are chemicals which are known to migrate from food contact articles used to store, process, package, and serve foodstuffs, but the extent of migration and their toxicity has not been understand. The study using the following methodology:

"We first compared the more than 14,000 known FCCs to five biomonitoring programs and three metabolome/exposome databases. In a second step, we prioritized FCCs that have been frequently detected in food contact materials and systematically mapped the available evidence for their presence in humans." 

The study has outlined the following impact statement from their findings: 

"We present systematically compiled evidence on human exposure to 3601 food contact chemicals (FCCs) and highlight FCCs that are of concern because of their known hazard properties. Further, we identify relevant data gaps for FCCs found in food contact materials and foods. This article improves the understanding of food contact materials’ contribution to chemical exposure for the human population and highlights opportunities for improving public health."

You can read the full study from the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology here.

Source: Geueke, B., Parkinson, L.V., Groh, K.J. et al. Evidence for widespread human exposure to food contact chemicals. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00718-2