Several research studies have found that when plastic comes in contact with certain foods, molecules of the chemicals in the plastic can leach into the food or beverage. Certain characteristics of the food item can make it more likely pick up plastic molecules:- The more liquid a food is, the more it touches the plastic, so the more opportunity it has to pick up plastic molecules.
- Acid foods, such as tomato sauce, appear to be particularly interactive with plastic.
- If you heat a food item in a plastic container—even if the container is microwave safe—the transference of plastic from the container to the food is even more likely.
When molecules of plastic—or more properly, molecules of the chemicals that get added to plastics during manufacturing—get into our bodies, it's not a good thing. They can cause unwanted effects in the human body; for instance, some of the chemicals mimic estrogen. Estrogen, of course, is a normal, essential human hormone; but having too much of it (or the molecules that mimic estrogen) has been associated with breast cancer and other health problems. In general, chemicals that fool the body into thinking they are estrogen or other hormones are called endocrine disruptors.
So, what would a better food-storage solution look like? The primary characteristic you want in a container material is inertness—that is, you want a material that holds tightly to its own molecules and does not let them go floating off into the food or drink touching it. On this score, glass and porcelain are the best choices.
Companies do make some storage containers with glass or porcelain bottoms and plastic tops. Some of them are oven-safe and large enough to cook in; in those cases, you can simply store the leftovers in the same thing you cooked in. Although these "combo containers" are designed to be air- and liquid-tight, they often don't seal quite as tightly as the best all-plastic wares. But given the health advantages of food-on-glass storage vs. food-on-plastic storage, the trade off seems more than acceptable. The glass and porcelain containers are usually microwave-safe, too, though it's usually best to microwave the dish covered with a plate or paper towel rather than the plastic lid.
Stainless steel cookware is also a good choice. If you cook something in a small or medium pot on the stove and have leftovers, why not just put the lid on, let it cool, and then put the pot right in the fridge? It will mean one less thing to wash, too.
These non-plastic types of containers are usually for sale at the nearest Mega-Mart, supermarket, or department store, but for some types of food storage requirements, there is also a free solution. For small and medium storage needs, the glass food jars that you would otherwise throw out or recycle make great storage containers once they have been washed and the label has been removed. Jars with a minimal amount of constriction in the neck—like peanut butter jars—work best. A nice feature of these freebie containers is that you can easily see what's in them when they're in the refrigerator. No more rooting through myriad opaque containers to find what you're looking for.
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The Laptop Lunch Kit- has safe storage compartments for food, as well as, a book with healthy lunch ideas.
2 comments:
Good job Townie!!! I'm completely with you on this!!
When a contained says "microwave safe" that means, the container will not be harmed by the microwave. It doesn't mean you'll be ok to use it. That was a shocking revelation for me.
I had never thought about reusing the glass containers! That's an AWESOME idea! Many organic items comes in glass too, so that's a way to recoup your loss on switching to something better!
You're doing a great job here!
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