A national study conducted in order to ascertain what level of phtalates and its persistence is in the environment and food chain has revealed that the industrial chemical seems to be ubiquitous and is now being found in all prepared foods tested.
Phtalates are chemicals used in a variety of products, from flooring to shampoo, to can liners to flooring.
Unfortunately there has never been a study done to assess what the safe levels are for exposure to the industrial chemical.
The new study however does not give clues on why there is such a pervasive presence of the chemicals in the prepared comestibles.
Some point to cross-contamination during production, or from packaging.
However this is a good first study from which to start and finally assess what the chemical presence is and what is its impact on the environment and more importantly on the human body.
Phtalates are particularly risky for newborns, since their exposure can be multiple and come from items such as PVC flooring, and the chemicals can enter the child through the mouth or the skin by contact.
The study also concludes that at the moment the level of phtalates found in the food items is below what the EPA considers a safe level. However, there is no way to know if the chemical accumulates in the human body through multiple exposures, thereby constituting a threat if not correctly identified.
In fact, phtalate exposure has been identified as a carcinogen, a teratogenic chemical, and is found to cause hormonal disruption primarily in girls.
The test sampled various items, such as pizza, meats and beverages from supermarket shelves in New York. Every one of the food products tested came back positive for phtalates.
This study also addresses a wider problem of chemical contamination of the food chain. Studies have found that aside from phtalates, both Bisphenol A and hexa-bromocyclododecane (HBCD) are widely present in food
Source: Science Daily 3.8.13
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