Newly published list evaluates food contact chemicals for human health risks
The Food Packaging Forum (FPF) has unveiled the Food Contact Chemicals Priority (FCCprio) List, a significant advancement in identifying and prioritizing food contact chemicals (FCCs) based on their potential hazards to human health. This comprehensive list features 1 222 substances that demonstrate harmful properties, including carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, and endocrine disruption, among others.
The FCCprio List aims to systematically assess FCCs and highlight those that should be phased out or avoided. Researchers at FPF compiled harmonized hazard classifications from various reputable organizations, such as the European Chemicals Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, integrating this data with their own exposure datasets. This analysis encompassed all 15 159 known FCCs, ultimately resulting in a tiered hazard list.
To qualify for inclusion on the FCCprio List, a chemical must present at least one significant health concern. The identified substances were then ranked according to their relevance based on human exposure from food contact materials (FCMs). Notably, 94 chemicals were categorized in Tier 1, which signifies the strongest evidence of migration from FCMs to food and subsequent detection in human biomonitoring studies. This tier includes well-known hazardous substances like ortho-phthalate plasticizers, certain metals such as lead and cadmium, and numerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
The subsequent tiers (2-4) comprise an additional 1 128 chemicals, each exhibiting decreasing levels of exposure evidence. The researchers also flagged another 1 173 FCCs that may present environmental hazards or provisional toxicity concerns. Alarmingly, approximately 81% of all known FCCs—about 12 317 substances—lack any harmonized hazard information, highlighting a significant gap in data that poses challenges for regulators, brands, and consumers alike.
The FCCprio List is freely accessible on Zenodo as an Excel file and will be updated as new hazard classifications or exposure studies are published. This list is already being utilized in initiatives like the UP Scorecard, which assists companies in avoiding hazardous chemicals in packaging design.
The methodology employed in creating the FCCprio List follows an evidence-based approach, adapting the PlastChem report's framework to focus specifically on human health hazards. This rigorous process aims to ensure broader consensus in hazard classification and to provide a clearer understanding of which chemicals pose risks through food contact.
As the conversation around food safety and chemical exposure continues to evolve, the FCCprio List represents a critical step toward ensuring safer food contact materials. Stakeholders are encouraged to engage with the database, identify gaps in data, and contribute to ongoing research efforts to enhance the understanding of food contact chemicals, ultimately promoting safer food environments for consumers.
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