New ‘high safety’ chemicals in plastic food packaging linked to lower birth weight, study finds
Summary
A peer-reviewed study of more than 6,600 pregnancies found that higher exposure to DINCH, a plasticizer used in food packaging and other products, was associated with lower birth weight and a greater risk of babies being small for their gestational age. The researchers said the findings add to concerns about the chemical’s safety, but the study reports an association and does not establish that DINCH caused the outcomes.Key Facts
- Researchers analyzed pregnancy data from the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes program.
- Up to 70% of the women in the study had detectable DINCH in their urine.
- Each tenfold increase in DINCH exposure was associated with a 27-gram reduction in newborn birth weight.
- Higher DINCH levels were associated with an increased risk of being small for gestational age, defined as below the 10th percentile for babies at the same stage of pregnancy.
- DINCH is used to make plastic more flexible and durable and is found in food packaging, toys, medical devices, flooring, cling film and plastic wine corks.
- The article says animal and cell research has suggested that DINCH by-products may interfere with hormones involved in fetal development.
- Global DINCH production rose from 25,000 tons in 2002 to 400,000 tons in 2024, according to the article.
- Researchers say more safety research is needed; the Switzerland-based Food Packaging Forum is conducting research on DINCH.
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