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BRIDGETTE H. FROM TEXAS ASKS:
I’m concerned about plastic safety when it comes to food. Which plastics are safe to store food in? Is it safe to heat plastic up in the microwave and the oven? If plastic isn’t safe, what are better alternatives for food storage?
Tell Congress: Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act
MOM DETECTIVE ANSWERS:
I’m also concerned about plastic safety and food, Bridgette. We should all be concerned. Chemicals found in plastic are increasingly showing up in bodies, and eating is a direct route of exposure. It truly feels like there’s a new plastic safety study out weekly saying it’s bad for human health. Yet literally everything at the supermarket is encased in plastic: cheese, meat, even shiny clamshells of cherry tomatoes. When I see a banana wrapped in plastic, it truly drives me batty. It already has a natural wrapper! Stop the madness! Trying to avoid plastic at the grocery store or find a plastic-free takeout lunch during the workday is ridiculously hard! As Moms Clean Air Force’s co-founder Dominique Browning recently wrote in the New York Times, we are living in an obscene “plastic crisis.”
Let’s start with the science on plastic safety and food, then I’ll get to your specific questions. There’s a wide variety of plastic used for food storage on the market, hard and soft, durable and flexible. Which plastic type any item is made of should be identified by a number on a tiny triangle somewhere on the container, usually on the bottom. General guidance at the moment about which plastics are safe for food use is 1, 2, 4, and 5. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has weighed in on safe plastics and, as far back as 2018, was already suggesting avoiding containers made of 3, 6, and 7. Three contains vinyl (PVC), a known human carcinogen, six is polystyrene, which can have a variety of health impacts from skin irritation to disrupted kidney function, and seven is a catchall for a bunch of different plastics, some of which can contain the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA).
But even “safe plastics” give concerned parents and caregivers pause. Children are so vulnerable. A policy statement about the AAP guidance states, “Many chemicals are used under a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) designation without FDA approval or notification. They’re designated as safe by company employees or hired consultants. Of the nearly 4,000 food additives listed on the FDA’s Substances Added to Food website, data for effects on reproductive organs are available for less than 300, and only two have information about effects on development.”
Because there are so many chemicals of concern in plastic, it’s difficult to say which plastics are safe without going into each individual plastic. That said, plastic generally breaks down over time—especially when exposed to heat while cooking, reheating, or washing in the dishwasher—and can leach into your food. We know this.
Here’s the good news: plastic may be ubiquitous at the grocery store, but it isn’t necessary when storing at home. In our own spaces, we can easily go a step further than what are generally recognized as safe plastics and just get rid of the stuff entirely. It takes a mind-set shift, but there are truly many other safe options including glass, stainless steel, and lead-free ceramics.
Food Storage Containers
I’m the first to admit that my fridge looks weird. It’s filled with glass jars and glass bowls of leftovers covered with ceramic plates, not plastic wrap. My freezer is similarly full of glass jars. Glass is my favorite for food storage; it’s cheap, convenient, and nonreactive. Unlike with even safe plastics, acids in things like tomato sauce don’t break down glass’s chemical components (it’s just melted sand) nor do they migrate into fatty foods. I buy canning jars and reuse peanut butter jars. You can also purchase glass storage containers. These typically come with so-called food safe plastic tops, though some old school shatterproof ones can be found with glass lids. Don’t beat yourself up about the lids. Being obsessive is stressful, and stress is toxic too. Just fill your food storage containers and jars in a way that the food won’t touch the lid. If freezing, remember that frozen food expands, so leave ample room.
Wraps of All Kinds
If you’re a plastic wrap person, you’ll want to know that it’s typically made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), one of the kinds to avoid, plus other potentially hormone-disrupting chemicals that make it flexible. There are alternatives, but honestly, they’re not great. All options bring up other concerns like the mining and production of aluminum for foil. Even wax paper can be coated with petroleum-derived wax, though some are made with vegetable wax. Compostable plastic versions sound safe in theory but can contain PFAS chemicals. There’s also reusable beeswax wrap, which some people love, but it’s pretty clunky.
That’s OK because wrap of any kind isn’t actually necessary. Bowls can be covered with plates. Bread can easily be wrapped in cloth dish towels and hunks of cheese, liberated from plastic wrap, store well in glass jars. For lunch on-the-go, washable cotton bags plus stainless steel bento boxes and tiffens are all safe plastic-free options. There are reusable alternatives to plastic baggies on the market, but most are plastic or have a plastic lining to make them waterproof. I’d rather have my peanut butter and jelly ooze a little than use those. Avoiding plastic is as much about giving things up as finding exact replicas.
Plastic Safety and Temperature
Everyone from the National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS) to popular cooking magazines agree: Don’t microwave plastic. Even durable “safe plastics” break down at high temperatures, and it’s especially important never to microwave restaurant containers like styrofoam or those meant to store cold food. The term “microwave safe” on a container isn’t a third-party certified statement. It’s frustrating that plastic safety claims are allowed on consumer products that aren’t regulated. It infers that it heats slowly and won’t leach chemicals into your food, but plenty of investigations have shown this to be untrue. If you use a microwave, you can place what you’re heating directly in the machine. No one needs a container to heat a potato. If you do need a container, use glass.
If you’re reheating food in the oven, remove it from its plastic container and put it in glass, stainless steel, or lead-free ceramic. One thing we can all do regarding plastic safety is to handwash plastic, not put it in the dishwasher. This will expose it to less heat. There is less research about the safety of freezing plastic. Water expands when frozen and can crack brittle plastics. Since there are other options, and there are other reasons to avoid using plastic than health, opt for them.
I hope this helps some, Bridgette. While there’s no way to avoid plastic in food entirely, these are all solid strategies to minimize exposure to potential harm even in “food safe plastic.” Still, it should not be up to individuals to become research scientists in an effort to figure out which plastics are safe. Join Moms Clean Air Force to urge our elected officials to put an end to this plastic crisis and to ensure all our family meals are universally free from harmful chemicals.
Tell Congress: Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act