UK – The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have issued a warning to consumers about the potential toxicity of bamboo-based food and beverage packaging.
This follows a 2022 warning regarding unauthorized plant-based materials such as rice husks, wheat straw, and hemp, which highlighted a lack of safety evidence.
New evidence from the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) has led the agencies to conclude that data remains insufficient to ensure the safety of bamboo-based products. Concerns persist about the health impacts of long-term use.
Dr. James Cooper, Deputy Director of Food Policy at the FSA, stated, “Our position remains that food containers and utensils containing bamboo composite material should not be sold in Great Britain.
“We don’t know the long-term health impacts of using these products, and we continue to have concerns that chemicals such as formaldehyde and melamine might leak from these materials when they are in contact with food, especially hot or acidic foods.”
Previously, businesses were asked to remove these products from sale, and consumers were advised not to use them until a full investigation was completed.
Now, the FSA and FSS are advising consumers who still have these items not to use them for storing or serving food but to dispose of them in general waste. Businesses are also urged to ensure these products are not made available for sale.
The COT found that bamboo and similar plant-based materials in plastic products can lead to formaldehyde and melamine leaching into food and beverages above legal limits, posing a risk to consumers.
While the body naturally produces formaldehyde, high levels can cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Melamine, though having low acute toxicity in the short term, can cause kidney and urinary tract damage with long-term exposure at high levels.
Though the short-term use of these products is unlikely to pose an immediate health risk, the FSA and FSS recommend reducing exposure due to the uncertain long-term impacts.
Based on the new evidence, the agencies are reiterating their call for the industry to remove these products from sale for all food contact use and for consumers to dispose of or repurpose any remaining items.
Following European Commission Food Contact Material legislation, these products have already been banned in Northern Ireland for food contact use.
The advice does not apply to items made solely from bamboo or plant-based materials, but only to those combining plastic and plant-based materials.
Businesses are being asked to ensure that bamboo or similar plant products do not contain plastic components.
Dr. Cooper concludes, “These products are not compostable and can’t be recycled, so consumers who still have them should discard them in the general waste bin or reuse them for non-food purposes.”
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