Research2 comments in the community
New ‘high safety’ chemicals in plastic food packaging linked to lower birth weight, study finds
The Guardian · By Tom Perkins ·
The Brief
- A study links exposure to a newer generation of plasticizers marketed as 'high safety' to lower birth weight and fetal development complications.
- The Guardian reports that Dinch, an alternative used in the EU and US, was also found to cause fetal development complications.
- The sources describe these chemicals as allegedly 'safe' alternatives to older plasticizers.
Why it matters
Substitutes for regulated plasticizers in food packaging may not be as safe as their labels suggest, which matters for pregnancy outcomes and for how alternatives are assessed before adoption.
Who’s affected
- Pregnant people and fetal health researchers
- Regulators and manufacturers of plastic food packaging
- #plasticizers
- #food packaging
- #birth weight
- #fetal development
- #chemical safety
Dinch, an allegedly ‘safe’ alternative, used in the EU and US also found to cause fetal development complications Exposure to a new generation of allegedly “safe” plasticizers is linked to lower birth weight and fetal development complications, which could cause serious health…
What science readers are saying
Based on 2 comments · Neutral
Commenters on Hacker News had little discussion beyond the study itself. One pointed out that the headline was edited from the original wording, and another said they switched food services to glass rather than plastic for cleanliness and health reasons.
- Headline wording edited50%
- Preference for glass over plastic50%
In favour
- + Switching to glass packaging is seen as cleaner and healthier for the body and environment
Concerns
“Recently switched food services, in large part to get the food in glass rather than plastic. So much cleaner and healthier for body and environment.”
Timeline
The Guardian reports study findings on high-safety plasticizers and lower birth weight
Health | The Guardian
New ‘high safety’ chemicals in plastic food packaging linked to lower birth weight, study finds
Hacker News
6 points · 2 comments