Plastic Poisons in Our Kitchens

!±8± Plastic Poisons in Our Kitchens

Modern kitchens are equipped with wonderful conveniences-many of which can also harm our health. This includes Teflon, antibacterial agents and plastics.

Plastics are of particular concern. Although plastics help reduce food-borne illness, their chemicals can leach into the foods they're packaging. Plastic contains dioxins; the risk of developing cancer from dioxin exposure can be as high as one in 1,000.

Dioxins are endocrine disruptors, which interfere with the body's hormone signals. Dioxin can also impede childhood development, reproduction and the immune system. It is also linked to mild liver damage, excessive body hair, plus skin discoloration or rashes, including chloracne-a severe skin disease with acne-like lesions on the face and upper body. Leaching plastics are linked to cancers and abnormal sexual development.

The plastic code stamped on the bottom of the container indicates the type of resin used. These codes are also used to determine which containers are recyclable.

Avoid #1 plastic. It can release adipates and phthalates into food and water when heated. Phthalates can cause maladies affecting the endocrine and reproductive systems.

Avoid #3 PVC plastic. It is the second most frequently used plastic worldwide. It contains vinyl chloride, a carcinogen. A 2000 report published by the National Institutes of Health found that di-2-ehtylhexyl phthalate, or DEHP, may be linked to birth defects and reproductive problems, including damaged sperm. Leaching is pronounced when it comes into contact with hot and/or fatty foods. This plastic may cause birth defects and damage the lungs, liver, kidneys and reproductive system.

Avoid cling wrap. It's composed of #3 PVC plastic. A study conducted by the Consumers Union found that cheese samples packaged in clear PVC plastic cling wrap such as Reynolds or Saran wrap contained a plasticizer called DEHA at an average of 153 parts per million. This grossly exceeds the 18 ppm limit for DEHA set by the Commission of the European Communities; beyond that limit, DEHA can cause birth defects, liver cancer and affect reproduction.

DEHA begins leaching into food immediately, and will continue leaching until it's completely depleted from the plastic wrap. Leaching even occurs at room temperature. A 1995 Danish study found that 44 to 58 ppm of DEHA leached into cheese within two hours of being packaged.

In particular, avoid storing fatty foods such as meat or cheese in cling wrap. Use butcher paper, waxed paper or cellulose bags instead. If you have to purchase cling-wrapped foods, slice off a thin layer where the food contacted the plastic. If you must use cling wrap, use Glad brand.

Avoid storing fatty foods such as meat and cheese in plastic containers. Polycarbonate and polystyrene containers contain chemicals that are linked to birth defects, cancer and fertility issues. Use glass, ceramic or stainless steel storage containers instead.

Avoid #6 plastic. It is typically found in foam containers and cups, plastic cutlery and cups, and in clear takeout containers. It can leach styrene into food. Styrene is a potential carcinogen, and it may also disrupt hormones and affect reproduction. Avoid all Styrofoam cups and containers.

Avoid #7 plastic. It contains bisphenol-A, a hormone disruptor, which can leach into food. This plastic is commonly found in baby bottles, five-gallon water bottles, plastic cutlery and microwave ovenware. Bottles containing hot liquids leach more BPA than new bottles. A whopping 95% of baby bottles are manufactured with #7 plastic; opt instead for bottles made with #5 plastic or glass bottles.

Choose the safest plastics: #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP. Most research conducted regarding these plastics has not shown leaching of carcinogens or endocrine disruptors. Milk and water jugs are often made of #2. Bread, frozen food bags, squeezable bottles and some food wraps are often composed of #4. Some yogurt, ketchup, margarine and syrup containers are made of #5.

Never drink from any container that smells like plastic.

Avoid plastic dinnerware, especially for heated food. Opt instead for paper plates if you absolutely must use disposable items, along with stainless steel or wooden utensils.

Use any bottled water quickly. Don't buy bottled water that's been on store shelves for months on end, as this allows more time for chemical leaching.

Keep any bottled water away from heat, which promotes chemical leaching.

Do not heat food in plastic containers or plastic wrap in the microwave. The plastics leach into the food, becoming hormone disruptors. Hormone disruptors affect normal growth, behavior, and reproductive system development; cause childhood learning disabilities; and cause breast, prostate and testicular cancer. Microwave food in glass or ceramic dishes.

Choose biodegradable plastic made from corn if possible. This may include bags, dinnerware, plastic wrap and food storage containers. The corn-based resins can be composted and decompose in approximately 12 days-as opposed to 100 years for traditional petroleum-based plastics.

This is for your information only, not to pressure you into becoming a total fanatic about toxins. Just remember that chemical, plastics and oil companies make trillions of dollars from their products, and are constantly producing more, which they spend billions more dollars to persuade you to buy. This is to remind you that you always have a choice.