Are plastic packed lunch boxes toxic?

Are plastic packed lunch boxes toxic? With the accelerated pace of social life, everyone has gradually become accustomed to ordering takeout. Every time they eat in the canteen or order takeout At that time, people mostly used plastic lunch boxes. Some people say that long-term use of plastic lunch boxes is harmful to the human body. Let’s take a closer look at whether plastic packed lunch boxes are toxic? Are plastic lunch boxes toxic? 1

1. The hazards of plastic lunch boxes

1. Many so-called environmentally friendly plastic tableware use industrial-grade plastic raw materials and waste plastics instead of food-grade raw materials in production. , these plastic tableware emit a pungent smell after being scalded with boiling water.

2. At the same time, they are arbitrarily added with industrial paraffin and talcum powder during production, which are prone to excessive amounts of calcium carbonate and contain harmful substances such as heavy metals lead and chromium.

3. People who consume industrial calcium carbonate are prone to gallstones and kidney stones, especially the heavy metal lead contained in it, which is harmful to the human digestive tract and nervous system. What's more serious is that many seemingly brightly colored plastic tableware can dissolve with the water, vinegar, oil, etc. contained in food. When the food enters the human body, it may cause indigestion, local pain, liver system diseases, etc. The disease affects children's intellectual development, and in severe cases can lead to gallstones, heavy metal poisoning and even cell cancer.

4. The reporter learned from relevant departments that in early August this year, relevant personnel from the municipal regulatory department made an unannounced visit to a plastic tableware packaging, distribution and processing point in Zhaogezhuang, Jiayue Town, as a franchisee.

5. According to supervisors, most of these plastic tableware are made of recycled waste plastic. Because it is light and anti-fall, manufacturers directly use shovels and other equipment to make these. The tableware is thrown into the container truck, then packed and stuffed into various sacks, and then transported to the packaging and distribution processing point through logistics. The first pollution has been caused during the transportation.

2. The hazards of long-term use of plastic lunch boxes

1. Take away unfinished meals in disposable plastic lunch boxes, use disposable plastic lunch boxes for take-out, and have no time to eat. Food is also taken out in disposable plastic lunch boxes - when eating this kind of lunch box, have you ever thought that maybe what you swallow is the lunch box.

2. Recently, reporters purchased a variety of the most common disposable plastic lunch boxes from the market for experiments and found that some lunch boxes melted instantly when exposed to ethyl acetate.

3. Chemistry experts point out that the product of all cooking wine and vinegar in cooking is ethyl acetate. After being packed into disposable plastic lunch boxes, the plastic of the lunch boxes is likely to Will migrate into food and be swallowed into the human body.

4. In daily cooking, the amount of cooking wine and vinegar used is not large, and the concentration of ethyl acetate produced is limited. It will not dissolve plastic lunch boxes as obviously and violently as pure ethyl acetate solvent. , digested, but if the lunch box can be dissolved in ethyl acetate, it definitely does not meet the usage standards of the lunch box.

5. According to supervisors, most of these plastic tableware are made from recycled waste plastic. Because it is light and resistant to falling, manufacturers directly use shovels and other equipment to make these. The tableware is thrown onto the container truck, then packed and stuffed into various sacks, and then transported to the packaging and distribution processing point through logistics. The first pollution has been caused during the transportation.

3. The harm of plastic lunch boxes to the environment

1. Foreign research results show that if polystyrene polymers are not completely polymerized during the synthesis process, styrene monomer will be synthesized. , dimers and trimers dissolve, and using it to package food is also very harmful to health.

2. Especially when it is used to hold hot food, the harmful substances inside will be sucked out and condense on the food. When people eat such food, not only the liver and kidneys will be damaged, but also the liver and kidneys will be damaged. And the functions will also change. Foamed plastic has been scientifically proven to be one of the most harmful plastics to health.

3. These disposable foamed plastic tableware will produce dioxin, a toxic toxin and carcinogen that is harmful to the human body at high temperatures above 65 degrees Celsius. "Dioxin" is a toxic chlorine-containing substance. It is the most toxic compound known in the world and is extremely carcinogenic. It can cause serious skin diseases and harm the fetus, and may also cause male feminization.

4. The direct and indirect processing cost of one ton of disposable foam plastic waste is more than 10 times its original value. Therefore, these "white pollution" not only add unwarranted economic pressure to the country and people, but also leave a lot of problems to future generations. Moreover, Freon is used as a blowing agent in the production of foam lunch boxes, and the main raw material for production is polystyrene

5. As we all know, Freon is an ozone-depleting substance, which will cause ozone holes in the atmosphere. Polystyrene is a carcinogen that can cause reproductive disorders.

4. Reduce the harm of plastic lunch boxes

1. In addition, because disposable plastic tableware is difficult to degrade, many cities are now promoting the use of green tableware-paper tableware. The principle is Cellulose, a component of paper products, can be degraded by microorganisms.

2. However, it is not wise to use paper tableware instead of foamed plastic tableware. First of all, paper tableware will also bring visual pollution. Their degradation speed is not fast, often within a few dozen It will not degrade completely within days or even months. Secondly, when making paper tableware, in addition to straw pulp and rice pulp, about 1/3 of wood pulp must be added. If it is fully promoted, it will inevitably cause the destruction of a large amount of wood. consumption, leading to increased deforestation.

3. my country’s forest coverage rate is only 13.92, and the per capita forest area is only equivalent to 17.2 of the world’s per capita level. Third, paper pulping has always been a large consumer of water, energy and pollutants. The pulping process requires a large amount of water, and my country is a country with water shortages.

4. If sewage is discharged directly into the river without treatment, it will cause water pollution; paper tableware needs to be dried immediately after being formed, which requires a lot of energy. my country's energy structure is dominated by coal burning, which will increase the content of SO2 in the air and cause acid rain. Are plastic lunch boxes toxic? 2

Regular plastic products are safe. Let me give you some reassurance:

As long as they are regular and qualified plastic products, they can be used with confidence. If we look into it carefully, if we want to use it, we should first understand the classification of plastic products. Turn over the plastic containers you usually use and you will find that most of them have icons like the following on the bottom or sides.

No. 1 and No. 6: The heat resistance is relatively poor. Do not load food that is too hot, do not heat it directly, and do not use it repeatedly.

No. 3: Plastic used in general plastic pipes.

No. 4: It can withstand high temperatures of about 90 ℃ and can also be well insulated from water. It is safe to use for packing food.

No. 5: It can withstand high temperatures of about 200 ℃ and can be heated in a microwave oven. There will be no problem with repeated heating.

No. 7: The raw material of most infant bottles.

Can empty beverage bottles be used to hold condiments?

Yes, but not recommended. There are indeed some fat-soluble small molecules in No. 1 plastic. If it is used for daily packaging of cooking oil, some substances will penetrate into the vegetable oil. Regular plastic products may dissolve less substances, so it is possible to use them to hold oil, vinegar, and soy sauce, but it is not recommended. But compared to plastic beverage bottles, glass bottles are a better choice.

How to use the packaging box?

Because the food temperature is generally not too high, there is no need to consider heat resistance. Since some ingredients in plastic products are fat-soluble, if the food contains high fat content, it is very conducive to their dissolution. Although it is not necessarily harmful, it is not a good thing. It is recommended not to pack greasy foods, such as Maoxuewang and boiled meat slices. Do not put all the fat in the soup into the packaging box. In addition, it is best not to heat it directly in the packaging box.

Is food in plastic bags harmful?

Not necessarily. As long as food packaging meets food hygiene standards and meets national quality requirements, there will be no safety issues. In life, many people use "non-food grade plastic bags" to pack food in order to save money or not pay attention. However, whether you are poisoned depends on the amount of harmful substances dissolved. If you have used it a few times occasionally, you don’t have to worry too much about chronic poisoning. It is recommended that everyone use plastic bags marked "food grade" to pack food.

Can plastic tableware be microwaved?

Regular products will be clearly marked "This product is allowed/prohibited for microwave heating". Number 5 can be placed in the microwave. Microwave heating is not recommended for products with other numbers.

Can ordinary plastic lunch boxes be heated in a microwave oven?

No, although ordinary plastic lunch boxes are also food plastics, they will still release harmful substances under microwave conditions. If If you are using a microwave, it is best to use special microwave glassware. If you can't tell which ingredients are used, it's best to pour the packed meals out and heat them in a pot, or pour them into a plate and bowl and heat them in a microwave.

We now have many large shopping malls or supermarkets. We have seen a lot of special heating boxes for microwave ovens. Lunch boxes like this are better than plastic lunch boxes. It is safer to put it in the microwave oven for heating, but now there is a situation that there are many products with microwave-specific logos written on them, but there are also counterfeit products, so we are buying Always pay close attention to the product’s trademark and production address.

Can the disposable packaging box be placed in the refrigerator?

Use it with confidence. There are rumors that plasticizers will dissolve out of disposable packaging boxes when placed in the refrigerator, and nitrites from leftovers can cause cancer. The plastics used in common packaging boxes do not require the use of plasticizers during the production process, and there is no danger of plasticizers. But the refrigerator is not a safe, and it is true that leftovers should not be kept for too long.

Are paper packaging boxes safe? Paper packaging boxes are also very popular now, and are used when packaging pizza, burgers and other foods. The coating inside barreled instant noodles has also made many people complain. The plastic film lining these paper packaging boxes is called "polyethylene coating", which is equivalent to the No. 4 material mentioned before. Its biggest advantage is that it can handle cold and hot drinks with ease. It can withstand high temperatures of about 0 degrees and is well insulated from water, so it is very safe to use for packing food. But it is not recommended to heat it directly in the microwave. Are plastic lunch boxes toxic? 3

Plastic lunch boxes are harmful when heated and over time.

1. Plastic products also have a shelf life. After the expiration date, the plastic will age, become discolored, and become brittle. If you find that the plastic box you are using has turned yellow or is no longer transparent, you should replace it as soon as possible. When a plastic lunch box is used for a long time, the inside will become uneven, and the missing part may be eaten by others.

2. Each plastic has its own heat resistance limit. Among materials used for food, the most heat-resistant is polypropylene (PP) which can withstand 140℃, followed by polyethylene (PE) which can withstand heat 110℃, while polystyrene (PS) can only withstand heat up to 90℃. Commercially available plastic lunch boxes for microwave ovens are mainly made of PP or PE. If the temperature exceeds their heat resistance limit, plasticizers may be released. Long-term ingestion of large amounts of plasticizers may damage the liver and kidneys. and affect development and growth.

Extended information:

In many large shopping malls or supermarkets, I have seen a lot of special heating boxes for microwave ovens. A lunch box like this is safer than a plastic lunch box heated in a microwave oven.

However, there is another situation, that is, there are many products now that are There is a mark specifically for microwave ovens, but there are also counterfeit products, so you should pay attention to the product's trademark and production address when purchasing.