Wrapping Food items in newspapers cause health hazards
(May Shows Carcinogenic effects)
“Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock”-Ben Hecht.
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ewspaper paper that provides news. Publications usually issued in the newspaper provide information of public interest in the form of news. It is printed and distributed daily or weekly. In the newspaper, there are several columns related to subjects like science, sports, crime, fashions, etc. also provide information in the form of print paper.
For printing, newspaper-specific ink is used. Different chemicals are used to print the newspaper. Ink black and color is used for printing.
Researchers show older newspaper inks are known to be toxic and not to be safe due to petroleum-based ink being used with a high amount of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). But nowadays there is some modern ink base on soybean, water, or waxes used for printing the newspaper.
According to the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers most prominent newspaper inks are comprised of soybean oil, various pigments, and waxes.
Newspaper ink consists of various harmful chemicals like
Aromatic hydrocarbons
4-aminobiphenyl
2-Benzidine
2-naphthylamine
Studies show that these types of chemicals that are used in the form of ink in the newspaper cause bladder and lung cancers due to their carcinogenic properties.
Newspapers’ biological toxic effects
Newspaper ink contains Agonists for the Ah receptors. AhR is an aryl hydrocarbon receptor that shows ligand-dependent activation pathways. AhR shows a diverse array of biological toxic effects. The solvent extract of the newspaper stimulates the AhR signaling pathway.
Researchers show that newspapers and printing ink contain relatively potent metabolically labile agonists of the AhR.
Researchers report that newspaper ink contains ingredients like naphthylamine, aromatic hydrocarbons, and other aryl hydrocarbons receptor agonists that show multiple negative health effects.
According to a nested control study of lung cancer shown among men who worked and were exposed to ink mist in newspaper production. Ink mist contains biologically plausible benzo[a]pyrene that acts as a carcinogen to humans.
The newspaper and packaging
The newspaper is used as the packaging of various food items. While direct contact of food ( especially greasy food)with printing ink during packing chemical present in printing ink absorbed by the food through cooking oil which acts as a medium for the transfer of ink ingredients into the food.
Food packed in the newspaper while relatively long in contact for more than 24 hours increases the risk of food contamination at a higher level.
Avoid Food Packaging in newspapers. Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy.
References:
Bohonowych JES, Zhao B, Timme Laragy A, Jung D, Giulio RTD, Denison MS(2008), “ Newspaper and Newspaper ink contain Agonists for the Ah receptor .”Toxicological Science 102(2):278–90.
D A Leon, P Thomas and S Hutchings ( 1994), “Lung cancer among newspaper printers exposed to ink mist: a study of trade union members in Manchester, England”. Occup Environ Med51(2):87–94 .doi 10.1136/oem.51.2.87. PMCID: PMC 1127912.PMID:8111469.
Jessica E S Bohonowych et al (2008), “ Newspapers and Newspaper ink contain Agonists for the Ah Receptors”. Toxicological sciences 102(2):278–90.DOI:10.1093/toxsci/kfn011.
Richard X.Zhou, Ralph Stanley, Maria Le (2012), “Contamination of food with newspaper ink: An evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) case study homemade dessert”. Environment Health Review,55(2):63–69,doi. org/10.5864/d2012–005.
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