Food packaging is of high societal value because it conserves and protects food, makes food transportable and conveys information to consumers. It is also relevant for marketing, which is of economic significance. Other types of food contact articles, such as storage containers, processing equipment and filling lines, are also important for food production and food supply. Food contact articles are made up of one or multiple different food contact materials and consist of food contact chemicals. However, food contact chemicals transfer from all types of food contact materials and articles into food and, consequently, are taken up by humans. Here we highlight topics of concern based on scientific findings showing that food contact materials and articles are a relevant exposure pathway for known hazardous substances as well as for a plethora of toxicologically uncharacterized chemicals, both intentionally and non-intentionally added. We describe areas of certainty, like the fact that chemicals migrate from food contact articles into food, and uncertainty, for example unidentified chemicals migrating into food. Current safety assessment of food contact chemicals is ineffective at protecting human health. In addition, society is striving for waste reduction with a focus on food packaging. As a result, solutions are being developed toward reuse, recycling or alternative (non-plastic) materials. However, the critical aspect of chemical safety is often ignored. Developing solutions for improving the safety of food contact chemicals and for tackling the circular economy must include current scientific knowledge. This cannot be done in isolation but must include all relevant experts and stakeholders. Therefore, we provide an overview of areas of concern and related activities that will improve the safety of food contact articles and support a circular economy. Our aim is to initiate a broader discussion involving scientists with relevant expertise but not currently working on food contact materials, and decision makers and influencers addressing single-use food packaging due to environmental concerns. Ultimately, we aim to support science-based decision making in the interest of improving public health. Notably, reducing exposure to hazardous food contact chemicals contributes to the prevention of associated chronic diseases in the human population.

Center for Science in the Public Interest Washington DC USA

Centre for Environmental Policy Imperial College London London UK

Department Adaptation du Vivant Unité mixte de recherche 7221 CNRS and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris France

Department of Animal and Food Sciences University of Delaware Newark DE USA

Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden

Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway

Department of Biology University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA

Department of Chemistry Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh PA USA

Department of Environmental Health Sciences School of Public Health and Health Sciences University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA

Department of Epidemiology Biostatistics and Occupational Health Faculty of Medicine McGill University Montreal QC Canada

Department of Growth and Reproduction International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health Rigshospitalet University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark

Department of Immunology Tufts University School of Medicine Boston MA USA

Department of Pediatrics NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York NY USA

Division of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism Department of Medicine University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago IL USA

Environmental Health Sciences Charlottesville Virginia USA

Food Packaging Forum Foundation Zurich Switzerland

Green Science Policy Institute Berkeley CA USA

Healthy Babies Bright Futures Charlottesville 5 A USA

Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies Commonweal Bolinas CA USA

IDiBE and CIBERDEM Universitas Miguel Hernandez Elche Spain

Independent Consultant Frederick MD USA

Institute for the Environment Health and Societies Brunel University London Uxbridge UK

Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland

Institute of Environment Health and Societies Brunel University Uxbridge UK

Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences Silliman University Dumaguete Philippines

Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Durham NC USA

RECETOX Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

The Endocrine Disruption Exchange Eckert CO USA

University of Zaragoza I3A Zaragoza Spain

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