How to Test for Plastic in Food

Some news reports claim the plastic from a water bottle may shed chemicals into the water.

Food processing or storage may accidentally bring random chemicals into the food. Plastics within food may contain chemicals that present a biological danger. For example, many plastic food storage items contain bisphenol A. Studies by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control show that ingesting bisphenol A consistently at high levels could contribute to carcinogen growths in the body. Because of dangers like those bisphenol A poses, it is important for consumers to know how to check for plastics in their food.

Instructions

1. Look at the plastic container the food is in. Notice Food and Drug Administration labels that indicate the plastic chemicals in the product. Avoid plastics that use polycarbonates and phthalates. The FDA labels these products PC and PVC, respectively.

2. Read the food's nutritional information. Arguably, the more preservatives the food has, the more likely that it went through a long chain of food processing. This is not to say all foods that are heavy with preservatives will have plastic. But because the food came from a long processing network, the chances of plastic contamination are high.

3. Check how far the food has traveled. Laura Vandenberg of Tufts University and the American Chemistry Council have argued that the farther a food product has moved in a plastic container, the higher the likelihood that plastic chemicals have shed into the food. Read the labels saying where the food is from or where it was processed and figure the distance from those places to the locale where you bought the food.

4. Investigate the chemical composition of nonstick cookware. Dr. Matthew Hoffman and experts at the organization Healthy Child Healthy World argue that the Teflon in nonstick cookware can combine into food if you don't use the cookware properly. Both Dr. Hoffman and Healthy Child Healthy World advise consumers not to preheat nonstick pans on the stove, raise the stove temperature to the high setting, or put the nonstick pan in the oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter. These situations might break down the Teflon into the food being cooked. If you want to avoid Teflon altogether, make sure before you purchase cookware that its label explicitly states is is Teflon free.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't heat food in plastic. Heating food in a nonmicrowavable plastic container could break down the plastic chemicals and increase the likelihood that the chemicals would incorporate into the food.

References

• Scientific American: Plastic (Not) Fantastic: Food Containers Leach a Potentially Harmful Chemical
• Web MD: Pots, Pans, and Plastics: A Shopper's Guide to Food Safety
• Plastics Info: The Safety of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
• American Chemistry Council: Food Containers and Packaging