American Chemistry Council Responds to Misinformation about Phthalates in Food Contact Materials

In response to recent articles by Consumer Reports that claim to find phthalates in food, the American Chemistry Council's High Phthalates Panel has issued a statement to correct the misinformation and assure the public that food contact materials are safe.

The panel points out that not all phthalates are the same and that the term "phthalates" should not be used to lump all phthalates together. DINP and DIDP, two commonly used phthalates, are two of the most thoroughly studied compounds in the world and have been reviewed by numerous government regulatory authorities.

The Consumer Reports article incorrectly claims that plasticizers can easily leach out of plastic packaging, but the panel clarifies that phthalates are tightly bound to the material and do not easily migrate out of the product or evaporate.

The article also fails to mention that government regulatory authorities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strictly regulate food packaging materials and have determined that phthalates like DINP and DIDP are safe in all existing food contact uses.

The panel also emphasizes that there have been no studies to date that show any link between human dietary exposure to phthalates and adverse health effects.

Finally, the panel criticizes the Consumer Reports article for mispresenting the test results and failing to provide necessary context. The measurements in the report are in nanograms, which are hundreds or thousands of times below levels of concern established by regulatory authorities. For example, the article claims that a can of Coca-Cola contains 6,167 nanograms of total phthalates, but this is equivalent to 1 part per trillion, which is far below the safe level.

The panel concludes by stating that the American Chemistry Council is committed to science-based policy solutions and is working to ensure that food contact materials are safe for consumers.

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