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Toxics Leaching from Plastic Food Packaging & What You Can Do
Food For Thought
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Janelle Sorensen, Healthy Child Healthy World:
Plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic-lined cans – it’s tough to find a food that isn’t packaged in plastic. Yet, what leaches out of the packaging and into our food is often an overlooked component of food safety.
According to Emily Barrett at Environmental Health News:
[A new] study suggests that the problems go far beyond just one culprit or one health effect. Among the many toxic chemicals that can migrate from packaging into food are the endocrine disrupting phthalates and organotins and the carcinogen benzophenone. These compounds are heavily used in food packaging and have known health effects, yet are not routinely tested or regulated in food.
Although some regulations exist to guarantee safe food packaging, the current system does not address concerns posed by endocrine disrupting chemicals. The associated health effects of exposure to hormone altering compounds are many and varied, including immune dysfunction, metabolic disorders (diabetes, thyroid) and reproductive problems.
A number of other notable regulatory flaws include not testing mixtures and a lack of understanding of different effects on different populations – from children to developing fetus to adults to the elderly.
The guidelines, though, do not consider the collective numbers and toxicity – alone or in combination – of all of the chemicals that can leach from the packaging. In a chemical mix, individual health effects may be magnified. Printing, ink, adhesives, recycled cardboard and the plastic containers can all introduce unwanted chemicals into a single food product, creating a mix with additive or synergystic effects. What’s more, the chemicals may degrade over time or form new compounds that migrate into food. These can go entirely unmeasured since it is nearly impossible to identify and test for them all.
What can you do?
- Opt for whole, fresh foods. Not only will you reduce your exposure to contaminants from packaging, you’ll also reduce your exposure to synthetic additives and preservatives found in processed foods (including artificial colors and artificial sweeteners [Aspartame, Acesulfame-K, Saccharin]).
- Make friends with farmers. Learn what’s in season and seek out a local source. Check out this interactive map at Epicurious to find what’s in season in your region and refer to Local Harvest to find farmers and farmers’ markets near you.
- DIY. Ditch frozen and boxed entrees and make your own - it’s really a lot easier than you think. You can even make your own baby food by simply choosing a basic ingredient from your meal and mashing it in a food grinder (some people like using baby food processors like the Beaba Babycook.) Find a slew of easy tips, money-saving ideas and recipes in our Eat Healthy archives.
Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 02/22/2011 at 08:00 AM
April- In regards to corn-based plastic, while it’s not the best option (yet) environmentally, it’s safe for human health. The processing of the corn into lactic acid destroys the genetically modified cells and I believe strips it of any pesticide residue.
The plastics labelled BPA, PVC, and phthalate-free are safer options also. Especially if your son is using them as toys. You need to be much more concerned about plastics used with foods and beverages. Either way (particularly since your son is still mouthing toys), discard or recycle plastics that have become scratched or worn. The cracks can facilitate leaching and become breeding grounds for germs and bacteria.
Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 02/22/2011 at 07:50 AM
IJ - Excellent point on the Beaba! It can be super easy just to mush-up food you’ve steamed on the stove-top. Still, we get a lot of questions about baby food processors and Beaba is a safer option. The difference between this plastic use and the food packaging is that the Beaba is a hard, stable plastic that is free of BPA, PVC, and phthalates - as opposed to food packaging which tends to be softer and not developed for durability, so more apt to leach.
Also, the food in the Beaba isn’t in contact with the plastic as long as the food in packages at stores.
Personally, I’m a fan of the simple method you recommend. But, if folks are interested in baby food processors, here are some other options:
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/bpa_pvc_phthalate-free_kitchen_appliances/
Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 02/22/2011 at 07:43 AM
Sandy - Good point about the corn PLA. It’s not an ideal option, but in many respects can be much better than some of the worst petroleum-based plastics. I know some manufacturers are trying to take bio-based plastics to the next level by using non-food plants like grasses. It would be a wonderful next step because the grasses they’re talking about using wouldn’t need to be cultivated on farm land like food crops. They’d simply find naturally occurring sources, cut it back, let it grow, cut it back, etc. The next step after that will be making PLA recycling facilities. Petroleum-based plastics, when they are recycled, are “down-cycled” - meaning the plastic is compromised and cannot make the original product again. Eventually, the plastic still ends up in the dump. On the other hand, PLA can be recycled infinitely, like glass.
So, not perfect yet - but hopefully we’ll get there soon!
Posted by april on 02/21/2011 at 03:33 PM
i would like to kniw more about the corn plastic that is advertised as safer for plates and spoons and cups.. and other plsic oys mde from.. are you saying its less safe then regular plastic..? i have some green sprout cup my son uses for stacking and some times chews on they say pvc bpa and phlatelett free should i till use them?
Posted by IJ on 02/20/2011 at 07:09 AM
Avoiding plastic is difficult but not impossible. Just a quick comment on the advice above about making your own baby foods. Why does the same article that recommends avoiding plastics, also recommends using Beaba Babycook machine for cooking, steaming and mashing the food? This steamer is made entirely of plastic and all the cups and storage containers are also plastic. Is it not easier, cheaper and better to just steam/lightly simmer the vegetables and fruits in a simple stainless steal pot and then mash them with a fork? Why do we feel the need to surround ourselves with more consumer items that are marketed as the best, convenient, etc..? Let’s go back to the basics! Our great-grandmothers cooked with cast-iron, steel pots and made baby food with what they had. Cheers to health and simple lifestyle!
Posted by Sandy on 02/18/2011 at 02:32 PM
Don’t forget the “supposedly safe” corn PLA is manufactured by DOW Cargill and not only is made of GMO corn but is dowsed with round up and heavy chemical fertilizers. The barrier wall is much softer than in most plastics….
PET 1 and RPET contain no BPA or phlalates if made in the USA.
Posted by Michelle on 02/13/2011 at 03:15 PM
Personally, it’s not the foods that are so difficult- it’s the shampoo, soaps, cleaners, toilet paper, school supplies… there is just so much packaging! I need AFFORDABLE suggestions to reduce those!
Posted by Suzanne on 02/13/2011 at 09:40 AM
Thanks for the great info, as always!
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Posted by Digamama c/o Safe Care Parenting on 02/27/2011 at 03:51 AM
The Beaba Babycook or go whole hog for the long run (for the entire family) with a good cuisinnart. Honestly, I made all my own babyfood with my cuisinart in a flash, plus now that’s he’s older I use it for everything.
Not knocking the baby specific ones, but another way to reduce plastic, manufacturing, and eventual trash in the long run.