Experts say, even if it claims to be “microwave-safe.”

Experts say even if it claims to be “microwave-safe.”

  • fiat_lux
    132•2 years ago

    I’m not sure food blogs are the best choice for this. The article goes on to talk about BPA and phthlates, but neither of those exist in pure HDPE or PP.

    BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics (acrylic) (Edit: brain lapse, acrylic is PMMA) and epoxy resins. Phthalates are in PVC (vinyl). Using the word ‘plastic’ as a monomer mononym (Edit: lol wrong mono) is dangerous for many reasons, and causation vs correlation is one reason why.

    I mean, definitely go with glass if you have the choice, sure, but let’s also actually try to be accurate if we invoke the scientific method.

    I would also love for there to be really robust testing of food containers of all varieties direct at the manufacturers, with heavy fines involved if they’re using additives but claiming it’s a food-safe plastic.

      • fiat_lux
        13•2 years ago

        It doesn’t look shady, but I can only access the abstract which just says “plastics” and doesn’t specify that part further, unfortunately.

        • valaramech
          6•2 years ago

          For me, it has a picture where it specifies a “polypropylene container”.

          There’s also this bit from near the end of the abstract:

          Additionally, the polyethylene-based food pouch released more particles than polypropylene-based plastic containers. Exposure modeling results suggested that the highest estimated daily intake was 20.3 ng/kg·day for infants drinking microwaved water and 22.1 ng/kg·day for toddlers consuming microwaved dairy products from polypropylene containers.

          So, they’re, at least, discussing polypropylene and polyethylene.

      • fiat_lux
        14•2 years ago

        Oops, my mistake. I’ve been looking at too many acrylics and polycarbonates for use in a non-food setting. Thanks for the correction!

      • fiat_lux
        4•2 years ago

        I try to keep it honest and accurate, I would hate to spread more misinformation accidentally. If only my long-covid memory were a little more cooperative!

  • @Chickenstalker@lemmy.world
    33•2 years ago

    Here’s the thing. If the plastic is not microwave safe, then it is not any-sort-of-heat safe. The microwave is simply a heating device. The method is different but at the end of day, it vibrates molecules to heat em up.

  • @Wooshock@lemmy.world
    18•2 years ago

    I never put this kind of plastic on the microwave. But I also worry about paper plates, which have some kind of polyethylene coating that is really really hard to find any info about online. Ive fucking eaten cheese that has been boiled on a “paper” plate, only to find that those plates were coated in some kind of polymer.

    By the way, the insides of aluminum cans are coated in plastic.

    Sweet dreams!

    • @Coreidan@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10•2 years ago

      There is plastic in everything you consume now. You can’t get away from it unless you retreat to the wilderness.

  • @Seudo@lemmy.world
    18•2 years ago

    Why? Like, is this equivilant to ‘smoking cigarettes will kill you?’ Or more, ‘going within ten metres of a running automobile will kill you?’ Because stress and anxiety will kill you dead too. So…

    • @zik@lemmy.world
      4•2 years ago

      I suspect the next generation will be horrified that people ever cooked in plastic. Or ate or drank out of plastic. They’ll think of it the same way we think of lead pipes now.

      The evidence of terrible health effects of plastic seems to be adding up very fast. Pthalates, PFAS, and microplastics all seem to be implicated in the increasing rates of ill health, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

    • @instamat@lemmy.world
      7•2 years ago

      Be sure to microwave everything you eat in it, according to the article. (I may have misunderstood the point of the article)