by Iris Kang

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It is clear that there is an issue of food insecurity that is disproportionately affecting certain communities and geographic regions. It is also clear that this issue of food insecurity is affecting disproportionate exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. In a review study, the upstream and downstream determinants of health were distinguished in regards to disproportionate exposure to synthetic chemical exposure (Gaston, et al., 2020). Out of these determinants, many of the upstream causes are “modifiable environmental and social factors” that can address the root of the issue. On the other hand, downstream determinants are more individual demographics or behaviors that increase one’s risk to exposure to synthetic chemicals.

 

In the context of endocrine disrupting chemicals in food packaging, it seems like the downstream causes are being addressed more in popular media. In an article published in The Guardian in 2019, the dangers of EDCs in food packaging is addressed. The article goes through common food packaging that contains concerning EDCs and follows each section of packaging with a section titled, “What to buy instead” (Goldberg Fox, 2019). The responsibility of avoiding EDC exposure through food packaging is being pushed onto the consumers rather than the producers of the packaging. A similar approach can be seen in an article produced by the Michigan State University School of Journalism. In this article, the issue of labeling requirements is the main topic. The author discusses how identifying EDCs in food packaging can be difficult due to the lack of labeling requirement (Sukhanovskava, 2021). The focus is shifted to how this makes it difficult for consumers to identify and avoid exposure in food packaging. Thus, the purpose of the article is to make it easier for consumers to be able to identify and avoid EDCs.

 

We as a consulting company are advocating for a more wide solution that addresses both the upstream and downstream causes of disproportionate EDC exposure through food packaging. We hope to address more upstream issues such as institutional, physical, and social context through solutions that increase access to healthy food resources, addressing marketing issues, and more. At the same time, however, we also hope to continue to offer solutions to the downstream causes like individual risk behaviors by increasing community awareness on EDC exposure in food packaging.