Our food comes into contact with a whole range of food contact materials made from industrial chemicals, from food packaging to pipes. The EU has laws that are supposed to regulate the safety of these chemicals, but they are full of gaps and largely ignore some key issues. A number of events in recent weeks [...]
Health
Highly persistent harmful chemicals are found in marine animals all over the world. These chemicals are having lasting impacts on the health of wildlife, as even if they are banned they stick around. In addition, there’s now a new problem that is concerning scientists: microplastics from cosmetics and other applications are polluting the environment, and [...]
In recent weeks the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics has expressed their concerns about the impact of exposure to toxic chemicals on reproduction and development, while scientists from the Endocrine Society have re-affirmed their concerns about endocrine (or hormone) disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Meanwhile, the authors of an important WHO/UNEP report on EDCs have rebutted criticism, while [...]
New research, published today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, shows that some persistent perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) can be transferred from mother to infant via breast milk. These chemicals, which have been widely used, are linked to a number of health problems, including negative impacts on immune response to vaccines in children. The research suggests that breast [...]
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been used in some of our favourite products including waterproof clothing and non stick pans, but their persistence means they’re found all over the globe, in wildlife and in our blood and other tissues. As the amount of research showing the harmful effects of these widely used chemicals grows, many of them are [...]
A year ago we wrote about new research which found that hazardous chemicals are used in food packaging, and that chemicals in many food packaging materials are not properly regulated by the EU. We sent a letter to the then EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg, and the reply from his office said that the Commission’s Joint Research [...]
New research, published today [1,2], finds that low doses of a chemical that leaches from many till receipts and food cans, can change the behaviour of female mice towards their offspring. The chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), has already been banned from use in baby bottles, and the French government has asked for an EU-wide ban on its [...]
New research, published today, finds that the costs across the EU of exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals could be over €150 billion annually in health care expenses and lost earning potential. Chemicals with hormone (or endocrine) disrupting properties (EDCs) are present in many everyday products and are frequently used as pesticides, but industry lobbying has delayed [...]
Phthalates are a group of chemicals used in a wide range of products – this introduction from a 2013 scientific paper is a good summary: “Phthalates are a group of ubiquitous chemicals present in many consumer products, including building materials, furnishings, clothing, paints, food packaging, toys, personal care products and pharmaceuticals. Many of them are [...]
Back in July, worrying new research on hazardous chemicals in food packaging led to CHEM Trust writing a letter to the current EU Commissioner for Health, Tonio Borg – more details in this blog post. We are particularly concerned about gaps in regulation for chemicals in non-plastic food contact materials (cardboard, ink, glue etc), and the fact that [...]
