What is DEHP? Why is it bad for human health

What is DEHP? Why is it bad for human health
Recently, the DEHP cases that boom out from Taiwan creates a major concern over food healthy issues around the whole Asia region, while at the same time, the bacteria infection in Europe region creates some concern as well.
Most countries health department has advised supermarket owners to pull out some Taiwanese products from their shelves. It is possible that some Taiwanese food and drinks contaminated with Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a product used in making plastic.
In Taiwan, the selling of products made using an emulsifier made by the Yu Shen Chemical Company has already been stopped. A study made by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration showed that Yu Shen Chemical Company used DEHP as substitute for palm oil.
Among the products pulled out from store shelves in Taiwan are energy drinks, bottled tea and juices, fruit jam, and fruit jelly with ingredients made by Yu Shen Chemical Company.
The Taiwan FDA website identified the contaminated products as:

• Nature House Lactic Acid Bacteria (apple vinegar-flavored lactic acid powder) produced by King Car Group;
• Skinny Dietary Drinks by Chang Gung Biotechnology Corp.;
• Taiwan Sugar Ginger Clam Tablets by Taiwan Sugar Corporation; and,
• Dongli Sports Drinks and Dongli Lemon Sports Drinks.

Taiwan FDA reported that “up to 465,638 bottles of DEHP-tainted beverages have been pulled out from store shelves. Also, up to 270,822 boxes and 68,924 packs of powdered probiotics and 28,539 kilos of fruit juices, fruit jam, powder and syrup, and yoghurt powder have been removed from shelves,” according to EcoWaste Coalition, an environment watchdog. The group added that to date, close to 500 product items manufactured by 155 Taiwanese food and drink companies have been found to contain DEHP.
DEHP- Why is it bad for human health
•Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is a Plasticizers of PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
•Plasticizers give PVC flexibility, strength and bondability.
•DEHP is currently the only phthalate used in PVC medical devices.
•By weight PVC based medical devices contain 20-40% DEHP.
DEHP may leach from plasticized PVC when a medical device comes into contact with fluids, lipids and heat.
–The rate of leaching depends on storage conditions (temperature, contact, time agitation)
What are the health effects of DEHP?
•DEHP is a reproductive and developmental toxicant in lab testing.
–Reduced sperm numbers*
•It interferes with testosterone synthesis
•Questionable effects on liver and lungs
–Risk of bronchopulmonarydysplasia