Artificial substances in packaged foods can fool consumers into eating abnormal portions.
According to a narrative in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the products have synthetic chemicals or ones created through unusual combinations that food processors include in the foods packaging, storage, and creation which harm someone's health throughout the course of time on a long-term basis.
"Whereas the science for some of these substances is being debated and policy makers struggle to satisfy the needs of stakeholders, consumers remain exposed to these chemicals daily, mostly unknowingly," the authors of the study told The Free Press Journal.
This is due to the substance's versatile nature and inability to remain stagnant thus releasing itself into food The Journal reported.
"Since most foods are packaged, and the entire population is likely to be exposed, it is of utmost importance that gaps in knowledge are reliably and rapidly filled," the authors told The Journal.
Scientists are especially worried about chemicals known as food contact materials which food companies utilize to make and store products, or ready food. Formaldehyde is one of particular concern.
"Formaldehyde is formed naturally in the body, for example from methanol that is present in fruit," David Coggon, a occupational and environmental medical professor at the University of Southampton told The Guardian. Thus we should only be concerned about relatively high exposures to the compound, and even then any risks will be extremely small," Coggon told The Guardian.
Some feel the food contact material is not so bad depending on the circumstances.
"To consume as much formaldehyde as is present in a 100g apple, you would need to drink at least 20 litres of mineral water that had been stored in PET [polyethylene terephthalate] bottles," Dr. Ian Musgrave a senior lecturer in the medicine faculty at the University of Adelaide told The Guardian. "Obviously the concern about formaldehyde from food packaging is significantly overrated, unless we are willing to place potential cancer hazard stickers on fresh fruit and vegetables," Musgrave told The Guardian.
