September 2008
The Southwest Portland Post • 7
FEATURES
EarthTalk TM
(Continued from Page 6)
sidered safe for repeated use storing
food items and cycling through the
dishwasher. Most food storage products
from Glad, Hefty, Ziploc and Saran
also pass The Green Guide’s muster for
health safety.
But consumers should be aware of
more than just a few “safe” brands, as
most companies make several product
lines featuring different types of plas-
tics. While the vast majority of Tup-
perware products are considered safe,
for example, some of its food storage
containers use polycarbonate (plastic
#7), which has been shown to leach the
harmful hormone-disrupting chemical
Bisphenol A (BPA) into food items after
repeated uses.
Consumers concerned about such
risks might want to avoid the following
polycarbonate-based Tupperware prod-
ucts: the Rock ‘N Serve microwave line,
the Meals-in-Minutes Microsteamer, the
“Elegant” Serving Line, the TupperCare
baby bottle, the Pizza Keep’ N Heat con-
tainer, and the Table Collection (the last
three are no longer made but might still
be kicking around your kitchen).
Beyond BPA, other chemicals can be
found in various food storage contain-
ers. Containers made out of polyethyl-
ene terephthalate (PET or PETE, or plas-
tic #1)—such as most soda bottles—are
OK to use once, but can leach carcino-
genic, hormone-disrupting phthalates
when used over and over again.
Also, many deli items come wrapped
in plastic made from polyvinyl chloride
(PVC, or plastic #3), which can leach
cancer-causing dioxins. Swapping
foods out of such wraps once the grocer-
ies are at home is advisable.
Containers made of polystyrene (PS,
or plastic #6, also known as Styrofoam)
can also be dangerous, as its base com-
ponent, styrene, has been associated
with skin, eye and respiratory irrita-
tion, depression, fatigue, compromised
kidney function, and central nervous
system damage. Take-out restaurant
orders often come in polystyrene con-
tainers, which also should be emptied
into safer containers once you get them
home.
If your head is spinning and you
can’t bear to examine the bottom of yet
another plastic food storage container
for its recycling number, go with glass.
Pyrex, for instance, does not contain
chemicals that can leach into food. Of
course, such items can break into glass
shards if dropped. But most consumers
would gladly trade the risk of chemical
contamination for the risk of breakage
any day.
Contacts: The Green Guide, www.
thegreenguide.com; Tupperware, www.
tupperware.com.
The vast majority of Tupperware products
are considered safe, but food storage con-
tainers to avoid use polycarbonate (plastic
#7). (Photo by Jerroen, courtesy Flickr)
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