Which Plastic Food Containers are Safe? Which are Recyclable?
DON’T: Toxic, Not Recyclable
#3 Vinyl or PVC (polyvinyl chloride), releases carcinogenic dioxins into the environment and can leach hormone-disrupting phthalate plasticizers. PVC is used in many cling and stretch food wraps and films.
#6 PS (polystyrene), that white spongy stuff of takeout coffee cups and food containers, can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, when heated or in contact with fatty foods.
OK: Recyclable, but not so Reusable
#1 PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) containers are recyclable through curbside pickup in Indianapolis, but studies indicate that with repeated use, PET containers may release
di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, linked to hormone disruption and cancer.
#7 (miscellaneous), includes polycarbonate plastic, which contains hormone-disrupting BPA (bisphenol A).
The average person is probably getting more BPA by eating canned food and drinking canned soda than from drinking out of a polycarbonate beverage container. BPA is used to line the inside of metal food and soda cans and leaches from the can liner into the food. Acidic foods like tomato sauces and soda absorb more BPA. To reduce your exposure to BPA, drink less canned soda and eat less canned food, especially those that are tomato-based.
DO: Recyclable, Least Toxic
#2 HDPE (high-density polyethylene) is recyclable through curbside pickup in Indianapolis.
DO: Least Toxic, but not so Recyclable
#4 LDPE (low-density polyethylene) is used in some food wraps, sandwich bags, Ziploc bags, dry cleaning bags, garbage bags, produce bags, and squeezable bottles.
#5 PP (polypropylene) is popular in reusable containers, medicine bottles, aerosol caps, and drinking straws though it is not frequently recycled.
I sent a question to Brita about BPA and received the following written response. I am relieved because our whole family has been using a Brita filter to filter tap water for many years, including regularly mixing powdered baby formula from it.
"Thank you for contacting us about Brita Pour Through System - Classic/Standard Pitcher. We always appreciate hearing from our consumers. The pitcher lids and filter housing is made of Polypropylene plastic (#5). The reservoir and pitchers are made either from NAS (a styrene-based plastic) or SAN (styrene acrylonitrile). The soft-touch handles are made from an elastomer called Santoprene (not to be confused with Latex or Neoprene). Brita products do not contain any bisphenol A and are all tested by the NSF (National Sanitary Foundation - www.nsf.org) for safety and wetted contact. Unfortunately the pitcher materials are not recyclable therefore do not have a plastic number. Please contact us at any time if you have additional questions."
Rolf Halden, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and the Center for Water and Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says this about cooking with plastics.
“In general, whenever you heat something you increase the likelihood of pulling chemicals out. Chemicals can be released from plastic packaging materials like the kinds used in some microwave meals. Some drinking straws say on the label “not for hot beverages.” If you put that straw into a boiling cup of hot coffee, you basically have a hot water extraction going on, where the chemicals in the straw are being extracted into your nice cup of coffee. If you are cooking with plastics or using plastic utensils, the best thing to do is to follow the directions and only use plastics that are specifically meant for cooking.”
Information on cooking safely with the microwave oven from the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service.
· Do not let plastic wrap touch foods during microwaving.
· Do not use foam trays and plastic wraps because they are not heat stable at high temperatures. Melting or warping may cause harmful chemicals to migrate into food.
· Do not use plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs, take-out containers, whipped topping bowls, and other one-time use containers in microwave ovens. These containers can warp or melt, possibly causing harmful chemicals to migrate into the food.
· Do remove food from packaging before defrosting.
· Do use cookware that is specially manufactured for use in the microwave oven. All plastics should be labeled for microwave oven use.
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