Phthalates Are In Your Food, And No One’s Stopping It

Phthalates Are In Your Food, And No One’s Stopping It

Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are synthetic chemicals found in far more everyday items than you might expect, especially food packaging. From there, they sneak into our food, making their way into our bodies and cells. Their presence in foods, particularly edible oils, raises serious concerns about long-term health impacts. Below, we break down what phthalates are, where they hide, why they’re harmful, and—most importantly—how you can avoid them.

We’re poisoning ourselves

Phthalates are a group of synthetic chemicals primarily used as plasticisers—substances that make plastics softer and more flexible. That’s why they’re everywhere in food packaging, from cling film and takeaway containers to cheap plastic bottles holding vegetable oils. The problem? Phthalates are lipophilic, meaning they cling to fat molecules. When oils come into contact with phthalate-laden plastics, these chemicals leach into the final product itself. Edible oils are a major yet often overlooked source of phthalate exposure.

In 2020, researchers discovered that the seven most common phthalates are absorbed from edible oils stored in plastic containers 2 to 7 times more than from water stored in the same plastic. Even more concerning, the study found that the ‘oestrogenic equivalence’ (EEQ)—a measure of how strongly a substance mimics oestrogen in the body—was between 45 and 396 times higher in these oils. This is no small issue. Scientists predict that by 2100, 97% of countries will have fertility rates too low to sustain their population size. A sobering thought, given the everyday exposure we face.

Phthalates are slowly destroying us

For over twenty years now, phthalates have been linked to reduced fertility, reproductive toxicity and testicular damage. As xeno-oestrogenic endocrine disruptors, they interfere with the body's delicate hormonal balance, wreaking havoc on testosterone levels in men, disrupting menstrual cycles in women, and compromising fertility in both.

One specific type of phthalate has even been associated with a two-fold increase in breast cancer risk. In rodent studies, researchers found that maternal phthalate exposure led to the ‘demasculinisation’ of male offspring.

The dangers don’t stop there. Prenatal and early childhood exposure to phthalates has been linked to developmental and behavioural issues in toddlers, while seven-year-old boys exposed to higher levels of phthalates were found to be more anxious, shy, and overweight.

Phthalates don’t just mess with hormones—they’re also linked to weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. Studies show that the more phthalates in your system, the bigger your waistline and the higher your risk of insulin resistance—a precursor to type 2 diabetes. In fact, a review of over 12,000 people confirmed that phthalate exposure is linked to the soaring rates of type 2 diabetes, a disease that has quadrupled globally since 1990.

And it doesn’t stop there. Phthalates interfere with thyroid function, throwing metabolism and energy balance off course. In the UK, prescriptions for thyroid disease—especially Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis—quadrupled between 1998 and 2014. That’s no coincidence.

How to avoid phthalates in foods

Phthalate levels have a ‘dose-dependent’ relationship, meaning the more you're exposed to, the worse the effects on your hormones and reproductive health. While it’s impossible to eliminate them completely, you can drastically reduce your intake by making a few smart swaps.

• The worst offenders are industrialised edible oils stored in plastic containers, so opt for cold-pressed fruit oils, including olive, avocado, and coconut oil, stored in dark, glass bottles.
• Dump industrialised vegetable oils (seed oils) even when they are stored in glass bottles—phthalates are used during their processing.
• Never combine plastic containers and heating food, especially in the microwave.
• Forewarn and bring your own containers to take-away restaurants and ask them to use them instead of their plastic-coated paper.
• Don’t store leftovers in Clingfilm.
• Use glass Tupperware.
• Stop eating junk, fast food.
• Look for products that have been independently tested, like our phthalate-free oils!

Conclusion

Don’t wait for regulators to step in—take control of your health now. Phthalates aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but you can limit your exposure by making smart choices every day.

References

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