Are plastics safe for our food? (teeth, cancer, medical, natural)

[GreenMachine]

I've been worrying more and more about plastic and food lately. And then I read this article about stores in Canada pulling plastic water bottles off the shelves. Do I need to start drinking water out of glass bottles? What types of plastic are safe? Are any of them safe? How do we protect ourselves?

Canadian retail chain pulls plastic water bottles - Yahoo! News (broken link)

[Mattie Jo]

I think we do need to stop buying bottled water. I bought a water container, stainless steel I think, from a health food store and use that. I store food in glass containers as well.

[nicolepsy]

i wont microwave with plastic or plastic wrap. the chemicals can seep into your foods.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I got rid of the plastic storage containers a long time ago and went back to Pyrex. Some of the same things that are in plastics from the petroleum industry are also in the coloring in our foods, I am allergic to yellow #5 and its in alot of foods. I eat alot of organic and all natural foods to avoid it. But I confess, I have tried to stop buying the bottled water but I just prefer the taste of the brand I buy to the water from the tap even once its been through a purifier.

[GreenMachine]

Are all plastics bad? Or is it mainly the hard plastic? I recently bought some glass food containers at Crate & Barrel with soft plastic tops. Do I need to return them?

Thanks,

Greenie

[GreenMachine]

This website looks interesting:
Our Stolen Future: Background on BPA... what is it , how is it used and what does science say about exposure risks

Quoted from the website:

"Bisphenol A is now deeply imbedded in the products of modern consumer society, not just as the building block for polycarbonate plastic (from which it then leaches as the plastic ages) but also in the manufacture of epoxy resins and other plastics, including polysulfone, alkylphenolic, polyalylate, polyester-styrene, and certain polyester resins.

"Its uses don't end with the making of plastic. Bisphenol A has been used as an inert ingredient in pesticides (although in the US this has apparently been halted), as a fungicide, antioxidant, flame retardant, rubber chemical, and polyvinyl chloride stabilizer.

"These uses create a myriad of exposures for people. Bisphenol A-based polycarbonate is used as a plastic coating for children's teeth to prevent cavities, as a coating in metal cans to prevent the metal from contact with food contents, as the plastic in food containers, refrigerator shelving, baby bottles, water bottles, returnable containers for juice, milk and water, micro-wave ovenware and eating utensils."


The website goes on further to explain the types of problems they find linked to the use of this chemical.

[SmerkyGrl]

Not all plastics are bad. Look for the ones that say "microwave safe". Definitely don't heat anything with plastic wrap though. That stuff has so many carcinogens in it it's not even funny.

[dennis s]

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)


go here:


Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)




Here's the real problem with plastics, PBDEs, fire retardant. These chemicals build up in your organs. Some have recently been made illegal in the US but many products imported from other countries still contain these deadly chemicals.

Are ANY products even made in the US anymore. Forget about lead poisoning, this is a lot worse.

[FLPL75]

here is what snopes says
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Microwaving Plastic Releases Cancer-Causing Agents
be sure to read all the way to the bottom

[bingo08]

I can't believe this subject came up. I just returned from shopping and picked up a glass container for work to heat up my lunch at work. I have read that there is a chemical that seeps out of the plastic when exposed to temperature changes.