Chemicals in Our Food: A Silent Threat
The Ubiquity of Phthalates
Phthalates, a group of chemicals used to make plastics flexible, have been around for decades. They are found in many everyday items, from food packaging to medical equipment. Scientists have known about the potential dangers of these chemicals for a long time. Yet, despite growing evidence, regulators have been slow to act.
Early Warnings Ignored
In the early 1980s, Earl Gray and his team at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted studies on rats. They found that phthalates could cause serious harm to the reproductive system. This was a wake-up call for many scientists. They realized that phthalates were making their way into almost every human being on the planet.
Mounting Evidence, Minimal Action
Over the years, more studies have linked phthalates to a variety of health problems. These include:
- Premature birth
- Infertility
- Cancer
Despite these findings, regulators have only made small efforts to limit their use. This has allowed companies to continue producing millions of tons of phthalates for plastics manufacturing.
Food: The Primary Source of Exposure
Today, most people are exposed to phthalates through their food. Although industry has largely eliminated their use in food packaging, they are still used in factories that make food. This means that ultra-processed foods often contain high levels of phthalates.
The Economic Toll
The costs to society are huge. A recent study estimated that dealing with phthalate-related diseases cost $66.7 billion in a single year. This is triple the economic impact of health impacts from “forever chemicals,” another class of chemicals widely implicated in disease.
A Regulatory Failure
Many scientists believe that phthalates should have been banned or severely limited decades ago. They compare the slow response of regulators to the delays in protecting the public from cigarettes and asbestos.
The Current State
Despite some progress, phthalates are still widely used. The EPA is currently scrutinizing seven additional phthalates, but any possible action would be years away. Even the chemical that Gray served to rats, dibutyl phthalate, is still on the market for use in adhesives and paints.
