Widespread Concern Over Flame Retardants in Plastic Kitchen Utensils

Identification of flame retardants in food contact materials highlights compliance gaps and product stewardship opportunities for manufacturers

Recent research and an increase in public scrutiny over the potential health impacts of flame retardants in common black plastic kitchen products and other food contact materials (FCMs) underscore the importance of careful supply chain evaluations — including those involving recycled materials. Manufacturers and distributors can implement good manufacturing protocols and quality reviews to account for and mitigate banned, restricted, and other potentially harmful chemical compounds

The black plastic spatula study

In October 2024, a widely circulated study published in the environmental chemistry journal Chemosphere concluded that brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) — both widely used in electronic products and drawing concern related to potential endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity — were found in certain kitchen products in concentrations that could be concerning for human health.

Despite a correction to the Chemosphere study —  also widely referenced online — noting a miscalculation of the reference dose of BDE-209 (a BFR measured in the study) and the risk to human health from exposure, the authors' revised work reached the same conclusion: that the studied products are "significantly contaminate[d]" with "high exposure potential." The conclusion mirrors concerns raised in another recent study evaluating the migration of different classes of chemicals of concern from FCMs into the human body.

What does this mean for kitchen product and food contact material manufacturers?

While recent media attention has emphasized human health hazards from BFR-contaminated FCMs that include black plastic, there are multiple potential sources of unintended additives in plastic products, including manufacturing cross-contamination, packaging, and the raw materials themselves, whether recycled or not. For manufacturers and distributors of these products, implementing effective and efficient quality control for polymer processing and product stewardship is essential to addressing potential risks related to unintentional additives.

To address FCM contamination concerns, product manufacturers and other industry stakeholders should consider the following actions.

• Rigorous testing: Utilize rigorous analytical techniques, such as mass spectrometry and chromatography, to precisely identify and quantify potentially harmful chemicals present in raw materials and finished products.
• Chemical migration modeling: Leverage simulated use-case testing to evaluate the ability of chemical compounds to migrate from products during intended use.
• Toxicological risk assessments: Evaluate potential health impacts by characterizing present chemical substances, estimating the extent of human exposure based on consumption patterns and possible levels of migration, and establishing safety thresholds and acceptable exposure levels based on the available toxicological database.
• Supply chain management: Implement traceability systems to track the origin and composition of raw materials used in production, and strengthen partnerships with suppliers who use in-line techniques or other QC procedures intended to identify potential chemical compounds of concern during the manufacturing process.
• Quality control measures: Perform production facility audits and inspections to help identify potential sources of contamination throughout the manufacturing process.
• Regulatory reviews: Thoroughly evaluate existing and emerging regulations and proactively adapt sourcing and manufacturing processes to mitigate potential risk to human health and the environment to maintain consumer trust.