美国九大组织联合要求FDA禁止食品包装中的部分化学物质

据美国食品安全新闻网消息，本周美国自然资源保护组织、乳癌基金组织等九大组织联合向FDA发起请愿，要求禁止食品包装中有害健康的部分化学物质。

这些化学物质包括高氯酸盐、长链全氟化碳类。食品包装密封垫片中添加高氯酸盐是为了减少干燥食品包装中的静电。长链全氟化碳类可防止油脂浸入食品包装的纸张与纸板，如披萨包装盒与三明治包装。

九大组织的行动签署人表示，两类化学物质可危害胎儿发育、雄性生殖系统、婴儿出生前后的大脑发育，还可引起癌症。

请愿者引述了FDA于2008年间的一项研究。研究发现，在超过1000个食品样本中，有59%的样本检出了高氯酸盐，并且六岁以下的儿童暴露量较高。

据了解，FDA之前要求三家企业在食品包装中停用全氟化碳。三家公司均表示同意，然而海外食品以及遣返产品当中仍有可能出现全氟化碳。

请愿人发现，2009至2014年间，至少有10篇动物研究可支持FDA的毒理学结论。FDA认为，有关全氟化碳安全性的问题仍有待进一步研究。

原文：

FDA Asked to Ban Certain Chemicals Used in Pizza Boxes, Other Packaging

Nine consumer and environmental health groups petitioned the Food and Drug Administration this week seeking a ban on the use of certain chemicals in food packaging.

The petitions target perchlorate, which is added to sealing gaskets for food containers and to reduce static in dry food packaging, and a family of chemicals known as long-chain perfluorocarboxylates (PFCs) that keep grease out of paper and paperboard, such as pizza boxes and sandwich wrappers.

These chemicals have the potential to harm fetal development, male reproductive systems, pre- and post-natal brain development and cause cancer, stated the petition signatories. They are the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Breast Cancer Fund, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Clean Water Action, Environmental Working Group, and Improving Kids’ Environment.

The perchlorate petition stemmed, in part, from data NRDC received from a Freedom of Information Act request for scientific assessments FDA used to grant approval for the chemical’s use in 2005. The groups argue that the agency’s data were flawed.

The petitioners cited an FDA study from 2008 which found that 59 percent of more than 1,000 food samples had detectable levels of perchlorate and that children younger than six had the greatest average exposure.

They also emphasized that the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board believes that infants are likely to be disproportionately impacted by perchlorate because their brains are still developing.

FDA had previously asked three companies to stop using certain PFCs in their food packaging. The companies agreed, but the chemicals can still be used in products made overseas and shipped back to the U.S.

In the petition, the groups said they found at least 10 animal studies published between 2009 and 2014 that supported FDA’s toxicology conclusions that there are “significant gaps” in our knowledge about the safety of PFCs.