Chemicals in labels may affect food, study shows

In Canada, steps have been taken to reduce the use of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that can be found in plastics, the lining of food cans, water bottles and paper receipts. In many cases, BPA has now been replaced with a similar chemical called Bisphenol S (BPS).

A study from McGill University has shown that Canadians are constantly exposed to BPS in the foods they eat, as chemicals migrate from labels on the packaging materials into the food.

Stéphane Bayen, Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, said there is growing evidence that BPS may have similar health effects to BPA.

“Our study provides evidence, for the first time, that BPS and alternative chemicals found in food labels migrate through packaging materials into the food people eat,” Bayen said.

An assortment of packaged fresh food sold in Canada such as meats, cheeses, vegetables and bakery products were examined by the researchers. They also compared fish bought from stores in Canada and the United States and the differences between food wrapped in plastic cling wrap films with or without food labels.

Thermal food labels where heat is used to print barcodes or unit prices, like price tags and stickers, contained relatively high concentrations of BPS. Little to no BPS was found in plastic wrapper films, pads and trays.

Though Canada does not currently regulate BPS, the researchers found that the amount of BPS found in the foods studied significantly exceeded the European Union limit, which regulates the permitted amount of substances released from packaging materials in contact with food.

According to Bayen, the actual dietary intake of BPS and other chemicals is likely to be high due to the number of packaged food items sold with thermal labels.

The study suggests a more thorough risk assessment of BPS and its ability to migrate into food from packaging is needed to help develop regulatory guidelines in the food sector.

According to information from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) in 2018, surveys of BPA in Australian foods show that dietary exposures of Australian consumers are low and within acceptable safe limits.

In Australia, a number of agencies are involved in regulating chemicals, such as BPA, including:

• FSANZ for the food sold in plastic containers.
• The National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) for the safety of the industrial chemicals used.
• The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for the safety of the plastic articles themselves.

In New Zealand, chemicals in plastics are regulated by the Environmental Protection Authority and plastic consumer products by the New Zealand Ministry of Consumer Affairs. The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries also does dietary surveys and safety assessments and manages and enforces chemical contaminants in domestic and imported food.

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