Packaging matters

Like a lot of people, I try to be relatively careful about the types of food that I eat and often buy organic and hormone-free foods. Though I suspect that the foods that I buy aren't always as organic/hormone-free as I would like, I figure a little improvement is better than nothing.

But then I read an article in Chemical and Engineering News about the leaching of chemicals from packaging into food and drugs.

The bis-phenol issue in plastic water bottles has been well publicized recently to the point that metal water bottles are a fad (of which stainless steel are the premium non-plastic option). And I've been aware of issues with storing and cooking with plastics and aluminum for a while.

But it never occurred to me that the inks and dyes used on the outside packaging of foods and medicines could actually get into the food or medicine and contaminate it to a point that the food would be recalled or the medicine would become ineffective. I was also not aware at how often this contamination occurs. In the article, they cite recalls of cereal in Germany when ink from the outside of the cardboard box got into the cereal, BPA being banned in baby bottles, infant formula with packaging ink contamination, IV bags with packaging ink leaching inside, contamination from glue used to attach a syringe, and carcinogens coming from processed rubber lids.

Thinking about it scientifically, the possibility of contamination makes sense. A lot of inks and dyes are toxic and/or carcinogenic. I just assumed the FDA rules were adequate for food packaging. Surprisingly the rules don't cover the entire packaging. As it is now, manufacturers can use toxic ink on the outside sticker label if it doesn't touch the food. But as all of the recalls suggest, this rule needs to change.

In the big picture, what does this really mean for us? It means that highly packaged organic food is potentially not as 'organic' as people like to believe. And this gives me another reason to eat fresh 'simple' foods.