The Toxic, Food-Borne Chemicals Costing Healthcare Trillions

A report from Systemiq has revealed that four groups of toxic chemicals embedded deep in the global food system may be wreaking havoc on public health.

The study, titled "Invisible Ingredients", says that phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and PFAs are contributing to epidemics of preventable disease, fertility loss and environmental damage the world over.

Systemiq finds that these four groups of chemicals are rife in food networks, with action too infrequently taken to prevent contamination.

All in all, the report estimates that these toxic substances put an unnecessary strain of between US$1.4tn and US$2.2tn on public health systems each year.

That is roughly 2-3% of global GDP in avoidable costs.

'A chemical Wild West'

Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet and the Plastic Health Council, argues that the findings expose some systemic problems with global governance in the public and private spheres.

"The findings reveal a global failure of governance," she says. "We are effectively living in a chemical Wild West, where substances are unleashed into our food system long before anyone proves they're safe."

The chemicals enter food systems through multiple routes, both intentional and accidental:

1. Phthalates, used primarily to soften PVC plastics, appear in food contact materials including films, tubing and gloves.
2. Bisphenols coat the interior of food and beverage cans, jar lids and bottle tops, whilst also forming part of reusable plastic containers.
3. Pesticides are applied directly to crops as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, as well as seed and post-harvest treatments.
4. PFAs, a group of approximately 15,000 chemicals known as "forever chemicals" due to their environmental persistence, provide grease and water-repellent coatings in food packaging and non-stick cookware.

Disease burden across multiple systems

The health impacts of these chemicals cut across several different biological pathways.

Pesticides alone account for US$816bn in avoidable annual health costs, followed by phthalates at US$609bn, bisphenols at US$533bn and PFAs at US$227bn.

To put that into perspective, these figures by far and away exceed the combined annual profits of the world's 100 largest publicly listed companies.

The report notes that toxic chemicals affect multiple organs and biological pathways, creating systemic and unavoidable health burdens.

Fertility crisis compounded

Perhaps the most alarming part of Systemiq's study is the section on the demographic impact of these toxic chemicals.

The report suggests that toxic chemicals could result in 200 to 700 million fewer births globally between 2025 and 2100 under a current-exposure scenario.

No region is spared, with exposure beginning even before birth and shaping lifelong health risks. Asia faces an estimated 265 million missing births, representing a 6% reduction.

Elsewhere, Africa could see 200 million fewer births, a 5% decline, while Europe could see 30 million missing births.

These impacts compound existing demographic headwinds and shrinking populations. Systemiq suggests that this could undermine long-term economic and social resilience.

Environmental contamination

The negative effects of are contaminated food systems extend beyond human health too. The report suggests that ecological damage adds an estimated US$0.6tn in annual costs to matters.

As things stand, around 80% of global farmland soils carry pesticide residues, while FDA testing found PFAs contamination in roughly 74% of seafood samples.

Systemiq also reveals that 600 wildlife species have confirmed PFAs in their tissues, while 20% of red-listed species face risk from bio-accumulating toxic chemicals.

Pesticide-laden runoff has led to fish harvest crashes of up to 90% in affected areas, which is little short of devastating for communities and supply chains alike.

The imperative for action

The study argues that existing policies and technologies could reduce combined harms by approximately 70%, delivering up to US$1.9tn in annual global savings.

The costs of action remain small compared to damage avoided.

In the EU, pesticide reduction delivers a benefit-cost ratio of approximately 100 to 3.5, with human health and ecological losses from continued use reaching US$739bn against average reduction costs of just US$26bn.

The analysis suggests that up to 80% of pesticide use could be eliminated using existing levers in Brazil and the EU.

For PFAs, phasing out 42% of volumes in the EU by 2030 would cost approximately US$500m annually, whilst current health impacts in the region stand at US$46-83bn a year.

For Sian, the time for incrementalism in this field is over. Rather, she believes that now is the time for decisive action.

"The consequences are devastating: trillion-dollar health costs, collapsing fertility, contaminated soils and waters," she explains.

"Policymakers must stop tinkering at the edges. We need a decisive, time-bound phaseout of chemicals known to harm human health and a regulatory system that prevents new ones from slipping through the cracks.

"Anything less is wilful negligence."