Environmental scientists have warned the long-term effects of synthetic chemicals used in packaging, food storage and processing food could be damaging our health.

In a paper published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the authors said most of these chemicals were found in "food contact materials", including can coatings, laminates on cartons and glass jar seals. Small amounts of chemicals used in these materials can diffuse into food, and this can be accelerated by increased temperatures, the type of material used and the length of time foods were stored.

While some of these chemical migrants were regulated, such as indirect food additives in the US, they said, not all were and as a result contaminants (though not legally defined that way) mean consumers are "chronically exposed to synthetic chemicals at low levels throughout their lives, including the most sensitive periods of development".

READ MORE: Scientists warn of chemical dangers in food packaging, but not without their critics