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ESFA Increased liver cancer risk from PFOA in foods?
Components of the coating for many consumer products such as cookware, baking paper or sandwich paper may damage the liver. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as toxic for reproduction and liver toxicity. Further investigations must now clarify the risk to consumers.
In the research project "Molecular Mechanisms of the Toxicity of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)", which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), BfR scientists are investigating the risks that PFOA actually entails. These are used as an industrial chemical mainly in the production of fluoropolymers (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE). The fluoropolymers, in turn, can be found as a dirt, water and grease repellent coating on many consumer products, including, for example, baking paper and sandwich paper. "When these products come into contact with food, PFOA can enter food as a contaminant and is then consumed," the BfR points out.
Perfluorooctanoic acid can change from the coating of baking paper into food and may pose a health risk. (Image: mika / otolia.com) What risks exist for consumers??
After EFSA evaluated perfluorooctanoic acid as toxic to reproduction and liver and suspected a hormone-like effect of PFOA, the question of possible risks for consumers is increasingly raised. So far, however, remains unclear whether these effects can also occur in humans, according to the BfR. Until now, the negative consequences were confirmed only in animal experiments. For humans, the low levels found in food are not considered harmful. However, high concentrations of PFOA in animal experiments have led to tumors in the liver and testes, reports the BfR. In addition, the substance is suspected to develop a hormonal effect. Whether the results from the animal experiments can be transferred directly to humans remains questionable.
Results from animal experiments transferable to humans?
"This fundamental question is of great importance for the assessment of the health risk of PFOA as a contaminant in food," emphasizes BfR President Professor Dr. med. Dr. Andreas Hensel. According to him, this is the only way to derive "safe health-related values for this substance." Basically, it is a central task of research at BfR to close the research gaps in the field of toxicology of food contaminants. This should be done with the research project "Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)", which is designed over a period of two years.
Research project to assess the risk
The research project will primarily investigate the toxic effects of PFOA on human liver cells, reports the BfR. For this purpose, special human liver cell lines were used, which are exposed to the substance in different concentrations. The aim of the project is "to investigate the toxic effects of PFOA at the molecular level and to elucidate the mechanisms of action, in particular with regard to liver toxic effects," according to the Federal Institute. On the basis of the findings, a better assessment of the health risk of PFOA could be carried out. (Fp)