A new study by US organisation Consumer Reports found that bisphenols and phthalates are widespread in popular supermarket foods and fast foods in the United States. However, some products contained much lower levels of phthalates than others, suggesting that companies can reduce the amount of chemicals in the food they produce.

Consumer Reports tested 85 popular US fast food and supermarket products for three bisphenols (BPA, BPS, and BPF), ten phthalates, and three common phthalate replacements. They calculated the amount of these chemicals consumed in a single serving of each food.

The products they tested included ready meals, fruits and vegetables, milk and other dairy products, baby food, fast food, meat and seafood. Bisphenols were found in 79% of products, and phthalates were found in varying levels in nearly every product tested (see the complete list of results here).

The levels of phthalates found varied significantly amongst products from the same brands and between the same food types from different brands. Consumer Reports states that this suggests reducing the amount of these chemicals in our foods is possible.

Bisphenols such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are often used in plastics to alter their properties (e.g. bisphenols are often used in the manufacturing of polymers and phthalates are added to soften plastics). However, these chemicals can potentially migrate from food contact materials (FCMs) into food and drink.

FCMs include any materials that come into contact with food, for example, food packaging or materials used in food production, such as conveyor belts, plastic tubes and plastic gloves worn to handle food.

Some bisphenols and phthalates have been linked to health concerns. BPA is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to health effects such as breast cancer, altered immune system functioning and effects on reproduction. As CHEM Trust highlighted in our Toxic Soup report, evidence has shown that Bisphenol S and Bisphenol F, which are increasingly used to replace BPA, may have similar hormone-disrupting properties.

Certain phthalates have been linked to toxic effects on reproductive health and the endocrine system, specifically their impact on male fertility.

In the EU and the US, regulators have set threshold values for BPA and a few phthalates, which set out the amount of a substance a person can ingest daily without risk to their health.

In April 2023, the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) lowered the threshold value. It concluded that the health of people in all age groups, including young children, is at risk from bisphenol A (BPA) in their diets. As a result, the EU is preparing a ban on BPA in food contact materials. To protect people from exposure to harmful chemicals in their food the EU Commission must act urgently to implement this ban.

CHEM Trust has been urging the EU to ensure that regulations are up to date and reflect scientific evidence. Alongside other NGOs we have been calling for the EU to implement a group restriction on bisphenols as soon as possible. CHEM Trust has also campaigned for restrictions on phthalates for many years.

Find out more about harmful chemicals in food packaging and how they can impact our health, pollute our environment, and disrupt the circular economy on our Toxic Free Food Packaging website.

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