plastic in the microwave

[Raisa]

Does anyone have a problem using the microwave these days?

I heard something that when you put TV dinners in the microwave in their plastic containers you can be making yourself at risk for cancer because you are releasing dioxins into your food. Its kinda strange cause when you really think about it, on the box they dont show the TV dinner in the plastic container - they usually show it on a plate.... Does this sound like crap to any of you or do you know what I am talking about with the cancer?

[Hampton]

I'm no plasticologist, but, google seems to know the answer:

The short answer is: Yes, chemicals can migrate into the food. The
issue is whether they are harmful.


I had heard about this topic several years ago, when it first got some
publicity on TV magazine programs. Being one who always was cautious
of chemicals, I took note, and always heat food in my microwave on
glass/ceramic cookware or plates, covered with a ceramic or glass
bowl.

In researching this question, I noticed that web sites published by
plastic companies stated there were no known health risks associated
with cooking with cling wrap, although they did warn that cooking in
plastic bowls such as margarine tubs could cause a risk of burns, from
melted, dripping plastic. Health and environmental sites present an
opposing view, and warn about chemicals leaching into our food.
Dioxins and DEHA are contained in most cling wraps, and can indeed
?migrate? into food, particularly greasy and fatty foods, which they
cover. ?Even though DEHA has long been regarded as a possible human
carcinogen, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed it from
its list of toxic chemicals in the late 1990s after concluding, based
on a review of the scientific evidence, that "it cannot reasonably be
anticipated to cause cancer, teratogenic effects, immunotoxicity,
neurotoxicity, gene mutations, liver, kidney, reproductive or
developmental toxicity or other serious or irreversible chronic health
effects."

Link. (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=286529)

or believe this from the FDA:


Under the food additive provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, new substances used to make plastics for food use are classified as "food contact substances." They must be found safe for their intended use before they can be marketed.

"It's true that substances used to make plastics can leach into food," says Edward Machuga, Ph.D., a consumer safety officer in the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "But as part of the approval process, the FDA considers the amount of a substance expected to migrate into food and the toxicological concerns about the particular chemical." The agency has assessed migration levels of substances added to regulated plastics and has found the levels to be well within the margin of safety based on information available to the agency. The FDA will revisit its safety evaluation if new scientific information raises concerns.

One chemical called diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) has received a lot of media attention. DEHA is a plasticizer, a substance added to some plastics to make them flexible. DEHA exposure may occur when eating certain foods wrapped in plastics, especially fatty foods such as meat and cheese. But the levels are very low. The levels of the plasticizer that might be consumed as a result of plastic film use are well below the levels showing no toxic effect in animal studies.

Link (http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/602_plastic.html)

Also Plastic Myth Busters. (http://www.plastics.org/mythbusters/dioxins.asp)

[Vinny Rafarino]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16 2004, 03:35 AM
Does anyone have a problem using the microwave these days?

I heard something that when you put TV dinners in the microwave in their plastic containers you can be making yourself at risk for cancer because you are releasing dioxins into your food. Its kinda strange cause when you really think about it, on the box they dont show the TV dinner in the plastic container - they usually show it on a plate.... Does this sound like crap to any of you or do you know what I am talking about with the cancer?
No need to worry.


This ridiculous myth was inspired by a silly quack by the name of "Dr." Edward Fujimoto.

His claims have since been completely debunked by every scientific organisation that bothered to give this dope the time of day.

""We have no evidence that plastic containers can produce dioxins when heated in microwave ovens. In fact, most, if not all, plastic containers would not even have the correct chemical composition to form dioxins." - Dr. Ed Machuga, consumer safety officer, FDA

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

It actually varies according to type of plastic - there is reason to believe that some plastics leech chemicals which mimic estrogen into food. It's not alot, but, as far as I'm concerned, any unecessary fucking around with hormones ought to be avoided.

There are also a slew of environmental reasons for avoiding plastic.

It's 5am. Fuck.

[ComradeChris]

I just use lead everytime to microwave my food in. It usually ends in drastic results :lol: .

No but seriously, I agree with Hampton. I'm sure stuff leaks into your food all the time. The question really is are they harmful in the amount of ingestion. Too much of anything (especially things that stay in the body a long time) have negative effects on the body.

[Vallegrande]

I also heard about plastic leeching chemicals into the food under extreme temperatures, like plastic in the freezer or in the microwave. It's nearly impossible to escape plastic wrapped foods because of the way our society is based, industrially.

Which comes to a point I need to make. Hemp can be made into plastic besides using these petro-chemical plastics, and it would be 100 percent bio-degradable. Oh right, we have a drug war, nevermind... <_<

[Elect Marx]

Originally posted by [email protected] 21 2004, 03:18 AM
Which comes to a point I need to make. Hemp can be made into plastic besides using these petro-chemical plastics, and it would be 100 percent bio-degradable. Oh right, we have a drug war, nevermind... <_<
Wow; interesting. I know corn could be made into plastic but I had never heard that hemp could be. Its funny that I just learned it too, living in the corn state and all.

Though since petrolium prices have gone up alterative plastics are becoming more popular. Of course the US is behind in this trend :angry:

I hope this trend continues and maybe the oil industry will have more competition. Though, while the US is using price controls and such, monopolies will have the upper hand.