Wednesday, March 8, 2006

A Health Warning About Food & Plastics...

I have long been very concerned about the mixture of food and plastics. Just the other night I saw a commercial for plastic crock-pot liners that keep the pot clean while you simmer food for hours on end that made me think about how dangerous a combination hot plastics and food can be.

I find it very hard to believe that a plastic bag next to a heat source will not release chemicals into the food that it is holding. Then, this week, I received an email that addressed that very issue.

I must admit I was not surprised about heat and plastics, but I was surprised about cold and plastics. The email talks about the dangers of warming and freezing food and drinks in plastic containers.

Studies at Johns Hopkins are now showing that cancer-causing dioxins in the plastic containers that we use each and every day are seeping into food when it is being heated.

Dioxins are absorbed, eaten and then begin poisoning your body’s cells, leading to the development of cancer.

Johns Hopkins recommends the following:
1. DO NOT put plastic containers, even so-called "microwaveable" containers, in the microwave. Dioxins can seep into your food while it and the plastic container are being heated.
2. DO NOT put plastic water bottles in the freezer. Dioxins seep into the water as the water freezes.
3. DO NOT use plastic wrap in the microwave. Dioxins seep into your food when the plastic wrap is heated.

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