and antioxidants, are added into plastic materials in order to improve the quality and properties of the plastics. Besides, plastic materials are often coated and printed in the final processes, in which inks and varnishes are used. Although the barrier properties of the plastic packages provide protection of foods from external contaminations, the additives and coating materials in the plastic packages are able to penetrate into foods and cause health-related issues. "It is true that substances used to make plastics can leach into food," says Edward Machuga, Ph.D., a consumer safety officer in the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “But as part of the approval process, the FDA considers the amount of a substance expected to migrate into food and the toxicological concerns about the particular chemical.” A couple of cases have caught media attention in recent years. One case is in regard to diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA). DEHA is a plasticizer, a substance added to some plastics in order to make them flexible. There are public concerns about DEHA exposure while consuming food with plastic wraps. There are potentials of exposure to DEHA; however, the levels of the exposure are much lower than the no toxic effect levels in animal studies. Another case is in regard to the dioxins, labeled as "likely human carcinogen" by the Environmental Protection Agency. The public has been misled by the claims that plastics contain dioxins , while Machuga stated that no evidence that shows plastic containers or films contain dioxins was seen by the FDA . Overall the use of plastic wrap in the food industry does not pose danger to human health. Environmental concerns The accumulation of plastic debris on the Earth threatens both wildlife and the environment. Plastic debris might choke or trap wildlife, and it could also penetrate toxic compounds into ecosystems. This land-originated problem has become a problem in ocean ecosystem as well since streams and rivers which are close to the land have carried the plastic debris into the coast, and currents transfer it to everywhere in the ocean. Plastic debris is a potential danger to all forms of aquatic life. Some marine species, like sea turtles, take plastic as prey items by mistake. Besides, some species might even pick up plastics and feed their offspring, which cause huge problems on growth and even cause mortality. Toxic compounds in plastics can disrupt hormone regulation in the