Food packaging has made life easier but is it putting your health at risk?

The beautifully packaged ready-made food displayed on a supermarket shelf may look yummy, but it can place you at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, latest research warns.

Shockingly, nearly 200 chemicals linked to breast cancer have been detected in food packaging and other food contact materials (FCMs) available in the market.

FCMs include any materials that come in direct contact with food and drinks including packaging, containers, dishes, cutlery and kitchen utensils. Rubber paper, ceramic, plastic or metal can be used to make them. According to the experts from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), chemicals in food and drinks can find way into your stomach.

For the study, researchers used alist of potential breast carcinogens prepared in 2007 by a team of scientists from the Silent Spring Institute,a scientific research organization studying the link between chemicals and women's health since 1994.During their study, the institute had identified about 216 chemicals linked to breast cancer.

In the new study, researchers compared the 2007 list ofthe Silent Spring Institutewith a database of the food packaging forumand identifiedthe presence of a total of 189 chemicals linked to breast cancer in food contact materials. While plastic packaging contained 143 chemicals, paper or board packaging had 89 cancer- causing chemicals.

The team also analyzed some studies conducted between 2020 and 2022 and found the presence of 76 cancer causing chemicals in FCMs used across the world including India, United States, Egypt and Austria.

The study also found a gap in current regulatory measures related to FCMs.

"The potential for cancer prevention by reducing hazardous chemicals in your daily life is underexplored and deserves much more attention," co-author of the study, Jane Muncke, Managing Director of the Food Packaging Forum, said in a statement.

One group of chemicals identified in the study are Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to New York Post.  PFAS also known as 'forever chemicals' have been linked to obesity, cancer, fertility issues, liver damage and thyroid disease, according to the experts at the European Environment Agency.

Similarly, in January 2024, researchers from the Silent Spring Institute identified 921 chemicalslinked to breast cancer.

Findings of the study have been published in the Frontiers in Toxicology.

Research in the past has shown a direct connection between chemicals and breast cancer.A study published in Dec 2019 found role of chemical hair straighter in breast cancer. Women who were exposed to the chemicals had a 30 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer than others.

Though advancing age is the highest risk factor for developing cancer, recent studies show the deadly disease becoming more common among younger people aged between 18 and 49. A study published in The Lancet Public Health in July 2024 found younger people getting 17 out of 34 cancers mainly breast, pancreatic and gastric cancers.

Breast cancer has become more common these days. More than 2,296,840 new cases of breast cancer were reported in 2022, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International.  About 6,70,000 people were killed by breast cancer in 2022, a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows.