Chemical invasion: The hidden dangers lurking in everyday foods

A groundbreaking review revealed that synthetic chemicals leaching from containers, wrappers, and factory equipment could be fueling the nation's soaring rates of chronic disease.

By Ava Grace

May 30, 2025

• Synthetic chemicals from food packaging, processing and storage (food contact chemicals, or FCCs) may contribute more to chronic diseases than dietary choices, with up to 100,000 FCCs in circulation — far exceeding regulated pesticides.

• BPA (linked to infertility and diabetes) and PFAS ("forever chemicals" tied to cancer and immune dysfunction) are major offenders, leaching into food at high concentrations due to weak detection methods and regulatory gaps.

• Over 50 percent of U.S. calories come from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which expose consumers to higher FCC levels due to prolonged plastic contact and chemical interactions, costing $249 billion in health damages in 2018 alone.

• Current safety tests fail to assess cumulative chemical exposure, focusing narrowly on cancer risk while ignoring low-dose hormone disruption.

  Industry lobbying and outdated science delay reforms, leaving the U.S. behind Europe in protections.

• While reducing UPF intake helps, individual action isn’t enough.

  Experts demand bans on hazardous FCCs, stricter testing, mandatory labeling and a shift to sustainable materials like glass or stainless steel to curb the crisis.

Americans are constantly bombarded with dietary advice – count calories, avoid sugar and eat more greens.

However, the real danger may not lie in the food itself – but in the invisible chemicals that seep into it from packaging, processing and storage.

A groundbreaking review published May 16 in Nature Medicine revealed that synthetic chemicals leaching from containers, wrappers and factory equipment could be fueling the nation's soaring rates of chronic disease.

It highlighted how modern convenience foods, ubiquitous in grocery aisles, deliver a toxic cocktail of hormone disruptors, carcinogens and "forever chemicals" straight to consumers’ plates.

While pesticides have long been scrutinized, far less attention has been paid to food contact chemicals (FCCs), substances that migrate into food during production, packaging or storage.

Shockingly, researchers estimate there could be as many as 100,000 FCCs in circulation, vastly outnumbering the 1,500 pesticides used globally.

Unlike pesticides that typically appear in trace amounts, FCCs often contaminate food at much higher concentrations – sometimes parts per million rather than parts per billion.

The issue is worsened by lax safety testing, as most regulations assess chemicals in isolation, ignoring the real-world effects of cumulative exposure.

Many FCCs, such as endocrine disruptors, can cause harm at extremely low doses. Yet current protocols primarily focus on cancer risk, overlooking subtler but equally dangerous health impacts.

Dangerous chemicals in ultra-processed foods

Two particularly concerning offenders dominate the study' findings: Bisphenol A (BPA) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Used in plastics since the 1960s, BPA mimics estrogen and has been linked to infertility, diabetes and obesity.

Despite bans in the European Union, enforcement remains weak because detection methods struggle to measure ultra-low yet still hazardous levels.

Meanwhile, PFAS – known as "forever chemicals" for their persistence in the body and environment – lurk in grease-resistant fast-food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags.

These substances accumulate over time, resist breakdown and may contribute to immune dysfunction and cancer.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) such as frozen meals, chips and soda account for over 50 percent of daily calories in the U.S., creating a perfect storm of risks.

These products undergo multiple processing steps, sit in plastic packaging for months, and contain additives that may react with FCCs.

Americans who consume more UPFs or frequently dine out have higher levels of FCCs in their bodies.

Synthetic Chemicals in Food: A Hidden Public Health Risk

The health costs are staggering.

In 2018 alone, diseases linked to plastic-related chemicals cost the U.S. an estimated $249 billion – comparable to Ecuador's entire GDP.

Lead study author Jane Muncke of the Food Packaging Forum Foundation and her co-authors called for bans on hazardous FCCs, stricter testing for chemical mixtures and a shift toward reusable glass or stainless-steel containers.

Yet progress remains slow.

While Europe has taken steps to curb BPA, U.S. regulators lag behind, hindered by industry lobbying and outdated science.

Reducing UPF intake is a start, but the researchers warn that individual action alone isn't enough as even fresh produce can be tainted by processing equipment or transport materials.

The paper by Muncke and her co-authors serves as a wake-up call. For decades, the food industry has prioritized convenience and profit over safety, while regulators turned a blind eye.

The result is a hidden epidemic of chemical exposure, with consequences emerging only just now.

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