> >Is Your Kitchen Full of Unsafe Plastics? >If you've seen the movie The Graduate, you might >remember the classic scene in which the main >character is told that the future can be summed >up in one word: Plastics. Unfortunately, the >person giving that advice pretty much nailed it >— plastics are now everywhere. Manufacturers use >plasticss more than any other material to create >and package products. The bad news is, many >types of plastic contain endocrine disruptors >and other dangerous chemicals. If you use >containers made of those types to store food, >those chemicals can leach into your food and >affect your metabolism and your overall health. >You can tell which plastics to avoid by checking >the numbers printed on the bottom of the >containers. Here are the ones you should stop using: > * #3 — Polyvinyl chloride (often abbreviated > PVC or V): PVC is found in bottles that contain > cooking oils, cling wrap, the clear wrap around > deli meats and cheeses, plumbing pipes, shower > curtains, and toys. This type of plastic > contains hormone-disrupting phthalates and > cancer-causing dioxins that can leach out when > the plastic comes into contact with heat, food, water, air, or our bodies. > * Alternatives: Choose Glad wrap, Saran > premium wrap, or Saran Cling Plus wrap (which > do not contain PVC) or store your food in > glass. Buy cooking oil in glass bottles. Don't > ever microwave your food in plastic — instead, > use parchment paper or wax paper. > * #6 — Polyystyrene (Styrofoam; often > abbreviated PS): Polystyrene is another big no. > It's found in your typical take-out containers, > disposable coffee cups, and egg cartons. The > materials used to create polystyrene are all > known or suspected carcinogens, and when PS > gets hot, it can release chemicals into foods. > * Alternatives: Buy eggs in cardboard > containers and don't drink your coffee from > Styrofoam cups. If you can't avoid polystyrene > packaging, transfer any food into a glass or ceramic container ASAP. > * #7 — Polyycarbonate (often abbreviated > PC): Polycarbonate is found in baby bottles, > microwave ovenware, stain-resistant food > storage containers, eating utensils, the > plastic liners of almost all food and > soft-drink cans, Lexan containers, old Nalgene > or other hard-plastic drinking bottles, > 5-gallon water jugs, and building materials. > Hundreds of studies have linked bisphenol A > (BPA), a chemical in polycarbonate plastic, > with harmful endocrine-disrupting effects, such > as early puberty in girls, abnormal breast > tissue and prostate growth, and lower sperm count. > * Alternatives: Use glass baby bottles and > switch to stainless steel or ceramic drinking > bottles. Limit your exposure from canned foods > like beans by rinsing the food thoroughly before you eat it. >A few types of plastic are okay to use because >they don't contain as many toxins. These are PET >or PETE (#1 plastic, the type used in many >beverage bottles), HDPE (#2 plastic, used in >some Tupperware products), LDPE (#4 plastic), >and PP (#5 plastic, used in yogurt containers). >While these types are okay, I say the fewer >plastics in your life, the better. Whenever >possible, look for alternatives such as glass, stainless steel, and ceramics. >
Alberta and my leading Lady --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
