14 DAY TRIAL // By the looks of it, there is one more reason for environmentalists to put on a frowny face should packaging happen to come up in a casual conversation.
This is because, according to an article published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, it is possible that packaged food constitutes a threat to public health.
Besides, it would appear that processed food it not all that great either, a team of environmental scientists argues.
What researchers are worried about is the fact that most of the synthetic chemicals used when packaging, storing, and processing food are not inert.
This means that they can leach into the things people eat, and endanger their health.
Interestingly enough, this can happen even if the doses of these substances that people are exposed to are small ones.
“Despite the fact that some of these chemicals are regulated, people who eat packaged or processed foods are likely to be chronically exposed to low levels of these substances throughout their lives,” Eurek Alert explains.
Furthermore, “Far too little is known about their long term impact, including at crucial stages of human development, such as in the womb.”
In their article, the environmental scientists detail that, presently, formaldehyde, i.e. a substance documented to cause cancer, is present both in plastic bottles and melamine tableware.
However, because its concentrations are very small ones, nobody has ever bothered making a big deal out of it.
What's more, chemicals such as bisphenol A, tributyltin, triclosan, and phthalates, which are known to disrupt hormone production, are present in packaging, storage, processing, or preparation equipment.
Consequently, the researchers urge that studies into how long-term exposure to these so-called food contact materials can affect an individual's overall health condition be carried out without delay.
“Since most foods are packaged, and the entire population is likely to be exposed, it is of utmost importance that gaps in knowledge are reliably and rapidly filled,” they stress.