Toxic substances found in common food products

Scientists from the Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research in Barcelona made a shocking discovery: common products in plastic microwave packaging contain dangerously high levels of toxic substances. The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, found that baby food, meat, and vegetables in such packaging may pose a serious health risk.

During an extensive analysis of 109 food samples from regular supermarkets, experts detected traces of more than 20 different types of plasticizers - chemical compounds added to make plastic flexible. Organophosphate esters (OPEs), which were found in 85% of the samples studied, caused particular concern. These substances, also used as flame retardants, are associated with an increased risk of cancer and endocrine system disorders.

Meat products and baby food were found to be the most contaminated - the concentration of dangerous compounds reached maximum values in these items. Cereals, legumes, and sweets also fell into the risk group. Researchers note a particularly alarming fact: when vegetables were heated directly in microwave packaging, the level of harmful substances increased 50 times.

"Our data convincingly prove that common food products can be a hidden source of exposure to potentially dangerous compounds," emphasizes study co-author Julio Fernandez-Arribas. Considering previous scientific works that confirmed the presence of plastic particles in various tissues of the human body, including the intestines and reproductive cells, the problem takes on the scale of a serious threat to public health.