Public issues

Plasticisers

Updated: 28 Apr 2009

Introduction

Chemicals banned in cosmetics here are OK in kids' toys and food packaging. Something's not right.

What do plastic toys and jars of pasta sauce have in common? Both are among the many products that may contain plasticisers. Some of these chemicals have been "fingered" as possible reproductive toxins.

The US has effectively banned six plasticisers from use in children's products; the EU has similar bans in place. Should we be following suit?

What are plasticisers?

Lid seals on glass jars may contain plasticisers.

Plasticisers are used to make plastic soft and flexible. They're found in everyday products - toys, food packaging, footwear, flooring, automotive parts.

They also turn up in places you mightn't expect such as the lid seals on food products sold in glass jars. The seal is that plastic ring you see under the lid on jars of pasta sauce, preserved veges, and baby food.

The most common group of chemials used as plasticisers are called phthalates (you pronounce it "thal-ates"; think of the "a" sounds in pal and then dates). Epoxidised soy bean oil (ESBO) is another common plasticiser.

Both phthalates and ESBO are frequently used in products made from PVC. On its own, PVC is a hard rigid plastic - plasticisers are added to make PVC soft, so that it can be used more widely.

Information in our table is sourced from reports on phthalates published by the National Research Council (US) and the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (Australia).

What's the problem?

Research has found some phthalates produce toxic effects in animals, particularly reproductive defects. Infertility, decreased sperm count and other reproductive abnormalities in male animals have been reported. These effects have been dubbed "the phthalate syndrome".

There's limited data on the health effects on humans but a recent report by the US National Research Council (NRC) says there's evidence showing widespread human exposure to phthalates at all stages of life. This exposure can be by ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through the skin. The NRC has called for an assessment of the cumulative risks of exposure to these and other chemicals that are linked to reproductive defects.

There are also unanswered questions about epoxidised soy bean oil (ESBO), particularly its use in the lid seals of glass jars. While ESBO itself is not considered harmful, it's known to generate potentially toxic derivatives that can migrate into foods. As yet, not all ESBO derivatives have been identified and there's a lack of good data about the long-term safety of those that have been.

What research does tell us is that ESBO dissolves in fats and oils and that there may be higher levels of the substance - and hence its derivatives - in fatty foods.

Under the lid

What's under the lid?

The Australian consumer organisation Choice recently tested 25 foods in glass jars for plasticiser residues. Products tested included a range of pasta and stir-fry sauces, pickles and preserves, many of which are found here. Most had a fat content of four percent or higher.

Nine of the products contained the plasticiser ESBO at levels well above those set by the EU. One product (a pasta sauce with 26 percent fat) had concentrations 14 times the EU limit.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand carried out a preliminary risk-assessment of Choice's test results. It concluded that consumption of the products is unlikely to pose an "immediate health risk". However, Choice remains concerned about the long-term health implications of plasticisers migrating into foods. We do too.

Choice approached manufacturers of the products it tested for a response to the results. One company, Heinz, voluntarily withdrew two products pending further investigation. Two other companies, Leggo's and Riviana Foods, said they'd follow up the issue with suppliers.

Regulations

Amidst growing questions about the safety of plasticisers, the EU and the US have regulated the use of some of these chemicals.

A US consumer-safety law that took effect in February 2009 effectively bans some of the more common phthalates (see the table in 'What are plasticisers').

Three of them - BBP, DBP and DEHP - are permanently banned from toys and childcare products. A further three - DIDP, DINP and DnOP - have been banned temporarily from products that are designed to be put in a child's mouth (such as pacifiers and teething rings). Whether this ban is made permanent will depend on the outcome of a Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel safety review.

Similar bans are already in place in the EU. The European Parliament has classified BBP, DBP and DEHP as reproductive toxins and they're prohibited in all toys and childcare products. EU regulations state: "Children as developing organisms are particularly vulnerable to [reproductive toxins]. Therefore, the exposure of children to all practically avoidable sources of emissions of these substances, especially from articles which are put into the mouth by children, should be reduced as far as possibe". EU regulations also ban these chemicals in cosmetics and place controls on their use in food contact materials.

The EU has taken a precautionary approach to the use of ESBO in food packaging. It's set a limit for ESBO of 60 parts per million (ppm) in food generally and 30ppm in baby food. This limit is the maximum amount of the substance allowed to migrate into foods from materials such as lid seals.

What's happening here?

The use of plasticisers in kids' products and food packaging isn't regulated here - but some plasticisers are banned from use in cosmetics.

Bizarrely, chemicals deemed unsafe (BBP, DBP and DEHP) in products we apply to our skin can still be used in toys that kids put in their mouths and in materials that come into contact with our food.

One reason for this is that our cosmetic regulations, which are set by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), are based on EU standards. But we don't always follow the EU when it comes to setting regulations for food packaging and toy safety.

Who does what?

Confusingly, regulation of hazardous substances in consumer products is carried out by several agencies. ERMA regulates hazardous substances in cosmetic ingredients (and in a range of other manufactured goods) but not in toys or food packaging.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is responsible for toy safety. Current product safety standards for children's toys cover aspects such as choking hazards, noise and lead levels. But there are no specific controls on the use of phthalates in kids' products.

Food packaging comes under the watch of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA). Existing rules contain a general requirement that food packaging must not cause food to be unsafe. NZFSA says compliance with recognised international food standards would be reasonable evidence that materials are suitable for use.

FSANZ, which sets standards for both countries, says it's reviewing the way packaging materials are regulated. This review is likely to look at the wide range of chemicals found in packaging and "the potential health effects from the migration of these chemicals into food". However, work is still in the early stages and the results are likely to be some way off.

More action needed

While we welcome the FSANZ review, we'd like to see faster action. There's already been a considerable amount of work done on plasticisers, prompting regulatory authorities overseas to set up consumer safeguards. We think regulatory agencies here need to move much more quickly to make sure our standards don't fall behind.

Avoiding plasticisers

Avoiding plasticisers is almost impossible. If you're concerned about the potential health effects, here's what you can do to minimise your risk of exposure to these chemicals.

Food
Fatty foods sold in glass jars - such as pesto, pasta sauce, mayonnaise, and preserved veges - are especially vulnerable to contamination because plasticisers dissolve readily in fats and oils. Look for non-fatty alternatives when you shop.

Toys and childcare products
Plasticisers are commonly used in PVC plastics so look for products which are PVC-free. If you can't see them on the shelves, ask retailers to stock them. Consider alternatives to plastic (such as toys made from wood).

We say

It makes no sense for our current regulations to prohibit some plasticisers in cosmetics but allow them to be used in kids' toys and food-packaging materials.
The long-term health risks associated with exposure to plasticisers need to be dealt with. The EU and US have already banned some of these chemicals. We think our regulatory agencies should be looking at whether similar measures are required to safeguard Kiwi consumers.