The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has raised fresh concerns over the health risks associated with the use of Styrofoam takeaway containers, warning that the popular packaging material releases harmful chemicals when it comes into contact with hot, oily, or acidic foods.
Director of Human Settlements at the EPA, Hope Smith Lomotey, said the growing body of scientific evidence linking polystyrene containers to health and environmental hazards informed the government’s decision to ban their production, importation, distribution, sale and use from January 1, 2027.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Friday, June 26, Mr. Lomotey explained that Styrofoam poses a serious threat when used to package hot meals such as kenkey and instant noodles, oily foods including shito, and acidic foods like citrus fruits and fruit juices.
He said exposure to heat, oil or acidic substances causes the containers to release toxic chemicals that can be harmful to consumers.
“If anytime heat gets in contact with this styrofoam, it releases chemicals that are harmful to the human being. Immediately oily foods get in contact with it, it releases these toxins, and acidic foods also cause it to release a lot of toxins that are not good for our health,” he stated.
Mr. Lomotey stressed that the government’s decision is not aimed at ending the use of takeaway food packaging but rather encouraging the transition to safer and environmentally friendly alternatives that provide the same convenience without compromising public health.
He rejected claims that the policy is only a precautionary measure, insisting that the dangers posed by Styrofoam have existed for years and require decisive intervention.
Beyond the health concerns, he noted that discarded Styrofoam has become a major source of plastic pollution, clogging drains, littering beaches and the sea, and affecting fishing activities across the country.
“For human health, it’s not safe. Public health is not safe. Environmentally, we are seeing it in our drains and in the sea. Our fishermen go to sea and harvest some of these plastics and styrofoam. I think we have all reached a point that we have agreed that enough of the problem is enough,” he added.
The nationwide ban on Styrofoam products is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027, as part of broader efforts to safeguard public health and address the country’s growing plastic waste challenge.
