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Which Plastics Are Safe for Lunchbox Use?
With all the recent press about plastics leaching harmful chemicals into food,
we want to be sure we’re using the safest materials in our children’s
lunchboxes.
Get the scoop on which plastics are safe to use right here:
Simple Solution:
Chemicals that leach from plastic containers into food include suspected
carcinogens or endocrine disrupters, which have been linked to reproductive
system harm. Plastic used for containers can be identified by their recycling
codes, as listed in this article.
Most wraps on pre-packaged foods lack identifying symbols. Here is a great list
from The Green Guide Institute from which you can tell at a glance the plastics
that are safe for food storage and those that aren't:
As a precaution, you can unwrap these foods and store them in nontoxic glass,
ceramic or steel bowls, or Ziploc bags (made of LDPE). Heat promotes leaching:
To be safest, never microwave or heat foods in plastics.
1. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET): No known hazards.
2. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE): No known hazards.
3. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or vinyl): Plasticizers are added to many PVC
products to make them flexible. These include phthalates -- suspected
endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), DEHA, another possible EDC, was found to
leach from PVC cling wraps into cheese. Grocery stores commonly use PVC to wrap
deli meats and cheeses. Reyonds cling wrap is PVC. Some waters and vegetable
oils are bottled in PVC. Ad PVC's manufacture and incineration produces highly
toxic dioxins, as does the PVDC used in Saran Wrap, according to Consumers
Union.
4. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE): No known hazards.
5. Polypropylene (PP): No known hazards.
6. Polystyrene (PS or Styrofoam): Made from styrene, a suspected carcinogen, PS
also contains p-nonylphenol; both chemicals are suspected EDCs. Do not consumer
fatty foods or alcoholic beverages from Styrofoam containers; styrene can leach
into these substances. Some opaque plastic cutlery is PS, as well.
7. Other Resins, including Polycarbonate (PC): Most clear plastic baby bottles
and 5-gallon water bottles are made of PC. Bisphenol-A EDC in PC, has been found
in water and heated infant formulas bottles in PC, as well as food cans lined
with a plastic film. |
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