Chemical alternatives for bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic food packaging can trigger harmful effects in human ovarian cells, according to McGill University, Canada, researchers. <\/p>\n
Their new study examined several chemicals commonly used in price stickers on packaged meat, fish, cheese, and produce, flagging early signs of potential toxicity. It calls into question the safety of packaging marketed as \u201cBPA-free\u201d and asks if current regulations are enough to protect consumers.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018BPA-free\u2019 is an incredibly misleading label,\u201d say Bernard Robaire, co-senior author of the study and James McGill, professor in McGill\u2019s Departments of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Obstetrics & Gynecology.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt usually means one bisphenol has been swapped for another, and there are more than 200 of them. Some may be just as harmful, or even worse. We need to test these compounds before they\u2019re widely adopted, not after.\u201d<\/p>\n
BPA alternatives disrupt DNA repair<\/p>\n
In 2023, St\u00e9phane Bayen, associate professor in McGill\u2019s Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, made the discovery that label-printing chemicals like bisphenol S (BPS), a BPA replacement, were leaching through plastic wrap into food.<\/p>\n
Bayen teamed up with colleagues in reproductive toxicology to investigate the bodily harm these substances could be causing, which spearheaded the investigation.<\/p>\n
The new paper describes how lab-grown human ovarian cells were exposed to four commonly used BPA substitutes: TGSA, D-8, PF-201, and BPS.<\/p>\n
Several of the chemicals, particularly TGSA and D-8, triggered a buildup of fat droplets in the cells and changed the activity of genes that help cells grow and repair their DNA.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are major cellular functions,\u201d stresses Robaire. \u201cDisrupting them doesn\u2019t prove harm in humans, but it gives us a strong signal that these chemicals should be further investigated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Underregulated replacements<\/p>\n
BPA can interfere with the body\u2019s hormones and has been associated with fertility problems, early development<\/a>, and metabolism. It has been banned in baby bottles and restricted in some products in Canada in light of these health risks.<\/p>\n