Taiwanese on average have up to seven times the concentration of hormone-disrupting chemicals in their bodies than their counterparts in other developed countries, medical experts said yesterday in a warning against improper handling of plastic food containers.
A study conducted by Taipei Medical University’s Research Center for Food Safety and Function Development showed that di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) concentrations in Taiwanese are two to seven times higher than their American, Canadian and German counterparts, the center told a news conference ahead of World Food Safety Day today.
DEPH, also called bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or dioctyl phthalate, is an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that is extensively used as a plasticizer in many products, including utensils.
Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times
The abnormally high concentrations of EDC in Taiwanese are likely linked to the plastic packaging materials that people commonly use for snacks and takeout, said Liao Kai-wei (廖凱威), an associate professor of food safety at the university.
Citing the research, Liao said that children and women who reported regularly handling plastic food wrappers or containers showed higher levels of the plasticizer than others.
EDCs are believed to be the cause of the global increases in cancer in children and breast cancer in women, he said, citing WHO figures.
Taiwanese exposure to the substance is probably connected to the pervasive misuse of plastics in the nation, he said.
Plastic food packaging is not inherently harmful, but Taiwanese routinely put hot food in plastic bags and continue using broken vessels, contaminating the food, Liao said.
Center deputy director Hsiao I-lun (蕭伊倫) urged the public to avoid heating food with plastic wraps in microwave ovens and handle paper packaging with care, as many include a layer of laminated film to improve durability.
Citing the WHO, he said that in an average year, 10 percent of the human population gets sick due to substances that pollute their food, 40 percent of whom are children under five, he said.
The study analyzed urine samples from 2,000 Taiwanese from 2013 to 2016 and was conducted in collaboration with the National Health Research Institutes.
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