It’s Time to Ban These Toxic Chemicals from Our Food

Earthjustice is calling for the FDA to ban phthalates, hormone-disrupting chemicals used in food packaging and production that leach into food. Despite a 2016 petition and a 2021 lawsuit, the FDA declined to ban these chemicals in May 2022, despite evidence linking them to birth defects, reduced IQ in children, and other serious health issues.

• Phthalates are chemicals used in food packaging and production that leach into food, particularly fatty foods like meats and cheeses, and are present in the bodies of almost all people in the U.S.
• Exposure to phthalates is linked to serious health problems, including birth defects, allergies, damage to male genitals, and cognitive impairments in children such as reduced IQ and behavior disorders. Heightened risks are noted for babies, young people, people of color, and economically insecure individuals.
• The FDA allows nine types of phthalates in food packaging and processing, despite a 2016 petition from advocacy groups and nearly 200,000 public comments urging a ban.
• Following a December 2021 lawsuit to force a decision, the FDA declined to ban phthalates in May 2022, while admitting its safety assessment for food-contact uses of these chemicals is outdated.

APA

Earthjustice (2023). It’s Time to Ban These Toxic Chemicals from Our Food. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/its-time-to-ban-these-toxic-chemicals-from-our-food

Chicago

Earthjustice. It’s Time to Ban These Toxic Chemicals from Our Food. 2023. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/its-time-to-ban-these-toxic-chemicals-from-our-food.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=It’s Time to Ban These Toxic Chemicals from Our Food |date=6 November 2023 |url=https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/its-time-to-ban-these-toxic-chemicals-from-our-food |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2023its, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{It’s Time to Ban These Toxic Chemicals from Our Food}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/its-time-to-ban-these-toxic-chemicals-from-our-food}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }