A new peer-reviewed study has revealed that over 1,222 chemicals used in food contact materials—such as packaging and processing—pose serious health risks, including cancer and reproductive harm. Additionally, 87 percent of the more than 15,000 chemicals used in these areas lack enough data for scientists to evaluate their safety. The research, published in Environmental Science & Technology, was conducted by the Food Packaging Forum Foundation and highlights a major gap in the availability of public data, which limits the ability of independent scientists to assess chemical risks. According to study co-author Jane Muncke, managing director of the Food Packaging Forum Foundation, the lack of accessible information on chemical risks is a critical issue that has been ignored. Many consumers assume that chemicals approved for use in food packaging have been thoroughly tested, but Muncke explains that this is not always true. The study examined substances approved by regulators in the United States, China, Japan, and various European and South American countries, as well as those identified in scientific research. Using data from government and regulatory sources, the researchers linked these chemicals to human health hazards and created a priority list of 1,222 chemicals, categorized into four tiers based on the evidence of their exposure through food-contact materials. Tier 1 of the list includes 94 chemicals known to migrate into food and have been detected in human samples such as breast milk and blood. These include PFAS (a group of chemicals linked to health issues like cancer and immune system problems), styrene, phthalates, and bisphenol A. These substances have been found leaching into various foods and beverages, including water, infant formula, orange juice, ice cream, yogurt, oils, cake, and fatty foods. Tier 2 includes an additional 264 chemicals that are known to leach into food but have not yet been detected in human biomonitoring studies. Experts recommend that regulators move away from evaluating one chemical at a time and instead consider the combined effects of multiple chemicals in a single exposure. They also suggest regulating chemicals in groups when there is enough evidence that individual chemicals in a group with similar structures and properties are hazardous. The study calls for updating rules on material safety to ensure that substances escaping from packaging are safe under various use conditions and expanding toxicity screening to include chronic diseases. It also suggests investigating whether inert materials like glass or stainless steel leach into food and prioritizing their reuse. Study co-author Helene Wiesinger emphasized that the lack of hazard data for 87 percent of chemicals is mainly because the data are not publicly available, which slows down regulatory action. She argues that a product or chemical should not be allowed on the market until a company can prove it is safe. The study also found that 70 percent of the more than 4,200 chemicals classified into 38 priority groups lack enough data to assess their potential harm, underscoring the urgent need for more transparency and research in this area.