Doctors make plastics plea over cancer fears
LEADING scientists are calling for plastic-free aisles in supermarkets, as fears grow that toxic chemicals leaching into food could cause cancer and fertility problems.
In a letter to today’s The Mail on Sunday, ten top food-security specialists and doctors – including Professor Sir David Baulcombe, of Cambridge University, and Dr Audrey de Nazelle, of Imperial College London – warn that chemicals found in packaging are potentially dangerous if consumed every day.
They say disposable plastic wrappers not only leave traces of toxic phthalate chemicals on the surface of foods but contaminate the environment when thrown away. And there is also growing evidence that, when consumed, the chemicals could cause catastrophic changes to human cells.
Calling for plastic-free aisles, the experts write: ‘This will give shoppers a choice. Plastic packaging is damaging our environment and we do not know enough about its effects on human health.’ Frederikke Magnussen, co-founder of campaign group A Plastic Planet, added: ‘We’ve got gluten-free, dairy-free and fatfree, so why not have plastic-free?’
A recent study by Plymouth University showed that one third of the fish caught off the coast of South West England contained plastic, while the University of Ghent showed seafood eaters ingest up to 11,000 pieces of plastic each year. Last year a UN report warned that people who consume plastic-contaminated fish are exposed to chemicals that can cause infertility.
Leaching of phthalate chemicals used in plastic packaging may also pose a real threat to health: in 2014 a US Government advisory panel report raised serious concerns about phthalates’ links to cancer.
The vast majority of the 300million tons of plastic produced globally each year remains unrecyclable.
Much of Britain’s plastic waste is incinerated, which releases a cocktail of harmful chemicals.
Plastic remains a very useful material. But consumers who want to reject single-use plastic packaging for alternatives currently have little choice.
A Plastic Planet, a campaign group, is leading calls for supermarkets to introduce a plastic-free aisle in stores. This will give shoppers a real choice.
Plastic packaging is damaging our environment and we do not know enough about its effects on human health.
That is why we are, today, calling for a plastic-free aisle in supermarkets. Prof Sir David Baulcombe, University of Cambridge; Dr Tracey Beacham, Plymouth Marine Laboratory; Dr Federica Bertocchini, University of Cantabria; Dr Paolo Bombelli, University of Cambridge;
Prof Simon Capewell, University of Liverpool; Prof Steve Evans, University of Cambridge; Dr Ian Henderson, Cambridge Global Food Security Initiative; Prof Frank Kelly, King’s College London; Prof Tim Lang, University of London; Dr Audrey de Nazelle, Imperial College, London