Diisodecyl phthalate is a commonly used plasticizer

Plasticizer

Plasticizers or dispersants are additives that increase the plasticity or fluidity of the material to which they are added; these include plastics, cement, concrete, wallboard, and clay. Although the same compounds are often used for both plastics and concretes the desired effects and results are...

 used in the production of plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

 and plastic coating to increase flexibility. It is a mixture of compounds derived from the esterification of phthalic acid

Phthalic acid

Phthalic acid is an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, with formula C6H42. It is an isomer of isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid. Although phthalic acid is of modest commercial importance, the closely related derivative phthalic anhydride is a commodity chemical produced on a large...

 and isomeric decyl alcohols.

The coating on furnishings, cookware, pharmaceutical pills, food wrappers and many other products may have DIDP or other phthalates

Phthalates

Phthalates , or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticizers . They are used primarily to soften polyvinyl chloride...

 in them. There has been recent concern in the USA and European Union for their toxicity

Toxicity

Toxicity is the degree to which a substance can damage a living or non-living organisms. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell or an organ , such as the liver...

 and bioaccumulative quality. The European Union has set a maximum specific migration limit from food contact materials

Food contact materials

Food contact materials are materials that are intended to be in contact with food. These can be things that are quite obvious like a glass, a can for soft drinks, but also machinery in a food factory or a coffee machine....

 of 9 mg/kg food for the sum of diisodecyl phthalates and diisononyl phthalates .