scholarly journals Tackling the toxics in plastics packaging

PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. e3000961
Author(s):  
Jane Muncke

The widespread use of plastic packaging for storing, transporting, and conveniently preparing or serving foodstuffs is significantly contributing to the global plastic pollution crisis. This has led to many efforts directed toward amending plastic packaging’s end of life, such as recycling, or alternative material approaches, like increasingly using paper for food packaging. But these approaches often neglect the critical issue of chemical migration: When contacting foodstuffs, chemicals that are present in packaging transfer into food and thus unwittingly become part of the human diet. Hazardous chemicals, such as endocrine disrupters, carcinogens, or substances that bioaccumulate, are collectively referred to as “chemicals of concern.” They can transfer from plastic packaging into food, together with other unknown or toxicologically uncharacterized chemicals. This chemical transfer is scientifically undisputed and makes plastic packaging a known, and avoidable, source of human exposure to synthetic, hazardous, and untested chemicals. Here, I discuss this issue and highlight aspects in need of improvement, namely the way that chemicals present in food packaging are assessed for toxicity. Further, I provide an outlook on how chemical contamination from food packaging could be addressed in the future. Robust innovations must attempt systemic change and tackle the issue of plastic pollution and chemical migration in a way that integrates all existing knowledge.

Author(s):  
Diana TOMA ◽  
Carmen SOCACIU

Food contact materials have high societal importance due to their influence on food quality and safety. In the food chain production, food matrix may interfere with many types of materials, particularly with food packaging. During the last decades, the concerns related to food packaging (especially plastics) and the migration of chemicals from food contact materials increased significantly, being affected by the nature and complexity of the food, the contact time and temperature, the type of food packaging material and the molecular size of the migrators. Some of these migrators are toxic and/or have endocrine disrupting activity. This overview reveals recent data (since 2015) about food contact materials as a source of food chemical contamination, their compliance in Europe, the analytical characterization of chemicals migrating from food contact materials as well the human exposure to such chemicals. There are mentioned the most recent scientific articles and experimental data on these topics, available from official, public reports or web sources. The major point in defining shortcomings in the current food contact risk assessment mechanism and legislation is that safety of food contact materials is currently less guaranteed due to different risk assessment, authorization processes across the Europe and their problematic enforcement.


Author(s):  
Kgomotso Lebelo ◽  
Ntsoaki Malebo ◽  
Mokgaotsa Jonas Mochane ◽  
Muthoni Masinde

Historically, chemicals exceeding maximum allowable exposure levels have been disastrous to underdeveloped countries. The global food industry is primarily affected by toxic chemical substances because of natural and anthropogenic factors. Food safety is therefore threatened due to contamination by chemicals throughout the various stages of food production. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the form of pesticides and other chemical substances such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have a widely documented negative impact due to their long-lasting effect on the environment. This present review focuses on the chemical contamination pathways along the various stages of food production until the food reaches the consumer. The contamination of food can stem from various sources such as the agricultural sector and pollution from industrialized regions through the air, water, and soil. Therefore, it is imperative to control the application of chemicals during food packaging, the application of pesticides, and antibiotics in the food industry to prevent undesired residues on foodstuffs. Ultimately, the protection of consumers from food-related chemical toxicity depends on stringent efforts from regulatory authorities both in developed and underdeveloped nations.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vu Thi Tuyet Thuy ◽  
Lam Tan Hao ◽  
Hyeonyeol Jeon ◽  
Jun Mo Koo ◽  
Jaeduk Park ◽  
...  

Plastic packaging effectively protects food from mechanical, microbial, and chemical damage; however, oxygen and moisture permeate these plastics and spoil the food. Thus, the gas barrier function is usually imparted...


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 721 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Pires ◽  
Camila Damásio de Paula ◽  
Victor Gomes Lauriano Souza ◽  
Ana Luísa Fernando ◽  
Isabel Coelhoso

The continuous petroleum-based plastics manufacturing generates disposal issues, spreading the problem of plastic pollution and its rise in the environment. Recently, innovative techniques and scientific research promoted biopolymers as the primary alternative for traditional plastics, raising and expanding global bioplastic production. Due to its unmatched biological and functional attributes, chitosan (Ch) has been substantially explored and employed as a biopolymeric matrix. Nevertheless, the hydrophilicity and the weak mechanical properties associated with this biopolymer represent a significant intrinsic restriction to its implementation into some commercial applications, namely, in food packaging industries. Distinct methodologies have been utilized to upgrade the mechanical and barrier properties of Ch, such as using organic or inorganic nanofillers, crosslinkers, or blends with other polymers. This review intends to analyze the most recent works that combine the action of different nanoparticle types with Ch films to reinforce their mechanical and barrier properties.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara B Fournier ◽  
Jeanine N D’Errico ◽  
Derek S Adler ◽  
Stamatina Kollontzi ◽  
Michael J Goedken ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Plastic is everywhere. It is used in food packaging, storage containers, electronics, furniture, clothing, and common single-use disposable items. Microplastic and nanoplastic particulates are formed from bulk fragmentation and disintegration of plastic pollution. Plastic particulates have recently been detected in indoor air and remote atmospheric fallout. Due to their small size, microplastic and nanoplastic particulate in the atmosphere can be inhaled and may pose a risk for human health, specifically in susceptible populations. When inhaled, nanosized particles have been shown to translocate across pulmonary cell barriers to secondary organs, including the placenta. However, the potential for maternal-to-fetal translocation of nanosized-plastic particles and the impact of nanoplastic deposition or accumulation on fetal health remain unknown. In this study we investigated whether nanopolystyrene particles can cross the placental barrier and deposit in fetal tissues after maternal pulmonary exposure.Results: Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to 20 nm rhodamine-labeled nanopolystyrene beads (2.64 x 1014 particles) via intratracheal instillation on gestational day (GD) 19. Twenty-four hours later on GD 20, maternal and fetal tissues were evaluated using fluorescent optical imaging. Fetal tissues were fixed for particle visualization with hyperspectral microscopy. Using isolated placental perfusion, a known concentration of nanopolystyrene was injected into the uterine artery. Maternal and fetal effluents were collected for 180 minutes and assessed for polystyrene particle concentration. Twenty-four hours after maternal exposure, fetal and placental weights were significantly lower (7% and 8%, respectively) compared with controls. Nanopolystyrene particles were detected in the maternal lung, heart, and spleen. Polystyrene nanoparticles were also observed in the placenta, fetal liver, lungs, heart, kidney, and brain suggesting maternal lung-to-fetal tissue nanoparticle translocation in late stage pregnancy.Conclusion: These studies confirm that maternal pulmonary exposure to nanopolystyrene results in the translocation of plastic particles to placental and fetal tissues and renders the fetoplacental unit vulnerable to adverse effects. These data are vital to the understanding of plastic particulate toxicology and the developmental origins of health and disease.


2011 ◽  
Vol 117-119 ◽  
pp. 1137-1141
Author(s):  
Ling Yu Wang ◽  
Jun Yan Huang ◽  
Li Hua Cui

In order to study the characteristics of a new kind of high-barrier and high-temperature sterilization and easy tear flexible plastic packaging materials applied in food packaging, the PET/AL/CPP was chosen as flexible plastic packaging material structure, different PET, CPP, alcohol inks, adhesives and other raw materials were selected for making a series of processing technology experiment and detection analysis. Then comparing the data obtained with the requirements, it was concluded that new flexible plastic packaging materials were extremely high resistance oxygen and resistance wet, high-temperature sterilization and good one-way easy tear, and etc.


1996 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 764-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
BARBARA A. BLAKISTONE ◽  
SCOTT W. KELLER ◽  
JOSEPH E. MARCY ◽  
GEORGE H. LACY ◽  
CAMERON R. HACKNEY ◽  
...  

Immersion biotesting has long been used to challenge packages, particularly cans, for pinholes and channel leaks. Such testing for all types of plastic packaging may not be appropriate because some packages (e.g., aseptic, hot fill) are not exposed to water. As the food-packaging industry develops alternative environmental biotests there is a need to benchmark them against traditional immersion testing. The purpose of this research was to examine the threshold of critical-defect dimensions using artifically created channel leaks of 10 and 20 μm and 5- and 10-mm lengths sealed into plastic pouches which were subsequently tested by immersion at 102 and 106 CFU of motile and nonmotile Pseudomonas fragi TM849 per ml. Forty-four percent (44%) of the pouches tested became contaminated, indicating the threshold defect value is below 10 μm. Microbial ingress was significant (P < .05) for motile test organisms with a concentration of 106 CFU/ml. The interaction of concentration and time was also significant at 102 CFU/ml at 30 min exposure and 106 CFU/ml at 15 min. Channel length was not statistically significant. The markedly greater contamination rate using immersion testing versus that of aerosol testing highlights the importance of using test methods that reflect environmental exposure conditions of the packages.


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