Plastic Additives Are in 85% of Food Samples Tested

Plastic additives are in 85% of food samples tested in a recent study. These aren't trace amounts from environmental contamination. They're coming directly from the plastic packaging your food sits in.

What the Study Found

A total diet study, published in a peer-reviewed journal, tested 109 food samples for plastic additive exposure. Plasticizers were detected in 85% of analyzed samples. The total concentrations ranged widely, with some foods showing significantly higher contamination than others.

Plasticizers are chemicals added to plastic to make it flexible. They don't bond permanently to the plastic. They migrate out. Into your food. Into your body. Phthalates and their replacements (DINCH, DEHA) are the most common plasticizers in food packaging.

Which Foods Are Worst

Fatty foods absorb plasticizers more readily than water-based foods. Cheese, meat, and oil stored in plastic packaging tend to have higher plasticizer levels. Processed foods in plastic pouches and trays. Anything that spends months in a plastic container before you eat it.

Heat makes migration worse. Microwaving food in plastic, or buying food that was heat-sealed in plastic packaging, increases the amount of plasticizers that end up in the food.

Transfer food from plastic into glass or stainless steel containers. Never microwave food in plastic. Use glass for storage. The habit change is small. The reduction in exposure is real. Browse non-toxic kitchen alternatives for glass and stainless food storage.

Also see glass food containers for safer alternatives.

Source: Plastic additives in the diet: Occurrence and dietary exposure in different populations (2025).