The food sector acknowledges that plastic use is one of the most controversial issues that need to be addressed, not only for environmental issues, but also for health reasons.
This was said in the framework of the annual conference on food safety organized by the Association of Large Consumption Companies (Aecoc), and which has served to reveal the different opinions of experts and authorities about the risks for the consumer involved in the use of plastics.
The Catalan researcher Miquel Porta, president of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology and editorial advisor of the scientific publication "The Lancet", among others, has stressed that people accumulate "toxic substances" in their bodies for long periods of time, and that this can be related to the development of disorders and diseases.
"The population is exposed to these components on a daily basis. This is the reality and we cannot ignore it. There's no need for anyone to feel attacked (in reference to the industry), but the system is not working. There is permanent exposure and the most common source is food," he said.
Most of this "contagion" is said to happen through the migration of plastic materials that are in contact with food.
Against "alarmist" messages
Depending on the time of exposure, the temperature or the food's characteristics, a "cession of substances" may occur, although at European level there are already limits and they are being revised as scientific knowledge is gained.
However, the head of the Chemical Risks in Food area of the Aecosan agency, dependent of the Ministry of Health, César Casado, has argued that the food safety levels "have never been so high," using the longevity of the Spanish population as an example.
"You cannot control all risks, scientific information is changing and the system is adapting. We are taking action (...) We must continue working, but you cannot issue an alarmist message to society saying that we are helpless," he said.
In his opinion, "society is not prepared to receive certain messages," especially when they have a certain complexity, since they currently prefer "quick messages."
Changes in packaging
He also explained that there are "substances under strict and constant controls," such as bisphenols, phthalates, and micro and nanoplastics.
For her part, the deputy director of the Valencian technological center (ITENE), Carmen Sánchez, explained the work they do with the materials that make up the plastic containers and packaging to reduce the presence of some of these pollutants, such as NIAS.
She has also highlighted the efforts devoted to preventing risks associated with the use of recycled plastic from the point of view of food safety, especially in a context in which it is expected to be used increasingly less due to environmental reasons.
In this regard, she mentioned specific examples created by the ITENE researchers, such as a tray for chicken whose base is impregnated with an active substance that helps preserve the product over time, or an "intelligent" label that changes if the product is already unsuitable for consumption.
