Plastic chemicals that leach into food can have harmful health effects, but simple storage changes can help reduce exposure.
Lauren Leffer reports for Popular Science.
In short:
- Certain chemicals in plastic, like BPA and phthalates, can leach into food and cause health issues, including cognitive effects and asthma.
- Replacing harmful chemicals in plastics often leads to using alternatives that are equally dangerous, and many food-packaging chemicals remain understudied.
- Reducing risk can involve avoiding microwaving food in plastic, using glass or steel containers and limiting contact between plastic and high-fat or acidic foods.
Key quote:
“We’re exposed to a chemical soup of these things. We know less about the impact of all of these chemicals together on health than we do about each component.”
— Joe Braun, professor of epidemiology at Brown University’s School of Public Health
Why this matters:
Many plastics contain chemicals that can leach into food and cause health problems, and while avoiding plastic entirely is difficult, small changes in food storage habits can help minimize exposure.
