According to scientists, tiny nanomaterials from snack food packaging may be accumulating in our bodies and damaging our health. In recent years, multinational corporations such as Unilever have increased their use of nanotechnology in food packaging exponentially. These materials are unregulated and unlabeled, which makes it impossible for consumers to make an informed choice about the potentially hazardous substances we’re putting in our bodies.

A recent report by Friends of the Earth has found numerous scientific studies indicating nanomaterials to be toxic to humans. The group is now calling for the removal of untested substances that could break off and enter food.

Nanomaterial pollution can be difficult to trace because the particles are smaller than even a single strand of DNA. However, evidence suggests that they are capable of chemically reacting with our bodies and interfering with our immune systems. Nanoparticles of silver, titanium dioxide, zinc and zinc oxide, materials now used in food packaging and food contact materials, have been found to be highly toxic to cells in test tube and animal studies.

When snack food companies like Unilever put untested particles in food packaging, they are using people as guinea pigs. A multi-billion dollar company like Unilever shouldn’t wait until people start getting sick before exercising caution in what they put in our food.