Are your food and drink plastics a health hazard?

[Latic]

Only learned about this recently.

Some research has indicated that plastics have the tendency to leach chemicals. One of these chemicals Bisphenol A (BPA) is found in a wide range of food and drink packaging from microwave ovenware and storage containers to water and milk bottles. It is used to make plastic tableware and cutlery – popular with toddlers and young children.

This isn't all plastics but plastic marked "7". Other plastics to avoid are 3 & 6.

These are the recycle codes and can be found on the plastic containers, usually at the base

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http://renchin.hubpages.com/hub/Plastics-to-Avoid" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmen ... a-47091707" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Sites like this say it's an issue (and there are lots of them)
http://www.nomorebpa.org.uk/whatisbpa/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

However the uk Food Standards Agency doesn't think that the likes of BPA causes a threat
http://www.food.gov.uk/policy-advice/fo ... dCNmvmsidk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;




Have found two "3" beakers and a "7" cup we regularly use. Needless to say they've gone straight into the bin.
This may be nothing, it may be something. Just thought I'd flag this up so folk know about it and can make a choice.

[el_pappje]

Cheers Latic. I'm aware of the theory but not what to look for.

[unc.si.]

Friend of a friend developed some BPA free baby bottles (anti colic as well - they've got a rubber insert thingy that stops air getting in). They were fairly unique at first although think most manufacturers are now BPA free on baby bottles.

Don't know much about it - if the kids were younger I'd definitely be looking into it a bit more. Don't actually buy a lot of packaged food anyway tbh.

Think milk and juice bottles are all BPA free though?

[Latic]

el_pappje, have amended first post.

unc.si., not sure. Two of them were Tommy Tippee cups and another was a cow cup for milk (I think that was Tommy Tippee too). These were about 3 or 4 years old and were made before concernes were raised.
Defo best to check. The FDA don't seem too concerned so I assume no action has been taken and manufacturers are free to do as they please.

[mad dog]

Cheers for the info, will go through the cupboards. Done really use much plastic containers etc etc, all baby's bottles are BPA free or whatever it is.

As long as all the bottles my beer come in are ok

[Surprised]

I thought the bigger hazard were childs dummies or plastic toys that they tend to suck?

[DrBunker]

All that text then a short line about the FSA being fine with it. These rumours have been around for years but don't stand up to the slightest scrutiny. Nasty disrupters and carcinogens? Sounds scary but how many thousands of years would you have to suck on a bottle for it to have any effect?!

[el_pappje]

FSA told you your beef was beef not so long ago....

[murf]

FSA told you your beef was beef not so long ago....

....and scaremongers told you the MMR jab was dangerous (or substitute one of 963 recent Daily Mail stories).

[DrBunker]

FSA told you your beef was beef not so long ago....

And they told us when it wasn't too. The economic downturn increased the use of horsemeat and, despite their best efforts, the dodgy European factories didn't get away with it. What's the logic with poisonous plastics?

[DrBunker]

FSA told you your beef was beef not so long ago....

....and scaremongers told you the MMR jab was dangerous.

And still do in many places (hence the number of recent outbreaks). They also love a leading question just like the one used in the title of this thread.

[Latic]

FSA told you your beef was beef not so long ago....

....and scaremongers told you the MMR jab was dangerous.

And still do in many places (hence the number of recent outbreaks). They also love a leading question just like the one used in the title of this thread.

F**k's sake man you're making me sound like the Daily Mail here.
Found out about this last week, felt I had to share it. My opening post was deliberately not "loaded". Links are given to both sides of the argument.

Yes the title has a double meaning, are the plastics really harmful and have you got any in the house you might be using?

This may be nothing, it may be something. Just thought I'd flag this up so folk know about it and can make a choice.

[DrBunker]

F**k's sake man you're making me sound like the Daily Mail here.
Found out about this last week, felt I had to share it. My opening post was deliberately not "loaded".

It's nothing personal (which I'm sure you'll be massively relieved to hear ), I just get fed up with getting emails or reading forum posts making hyperbolic claims about internet viruses, phone scams or women being attacked in car parks etc. Without going off on a rant it's not really any different to sham health claims (acupuncture, homeopathy etc.) when the cry "what's the harm" is heard.

[murf]

F**k's sake man you're making me sound like the Daily Mail here.
Found out about this last week, felt I had to share it. My opening post was deliberately not "loaded". Links are given to both sides of the argument.

Do you want me to highlight the bits that are loaded?

[el_pappje]

Personally I much prefer the idea of decent fresh food home cooked, rather than processed stuff bunged in the microwave or oven in a plastic pot. I don't get angst-ridden at the idea of plastic, but was glad Latic shed a bit more light on it.

Romans drank wine out of lead amphorae for long enough.......

[DrBunker]

but was glad Latic shed a bit more light on it.

That's just it, there was lots of information but how much of it was actually relevant, scientific or accurate? The point is it's not possible to take the 'advice' just by eating fresh food bc it covered water bottles, kids plates, microwave dishes etc. Basically everything, hence why it could be labeled scaremongering.

Romans drank wine out of lead amphorae for long enough.......

Er, yep! And ppl still take medical advice from quacks and discredited doctors. The difference being the Romans stopped as soon as they knew bc they wanted to improve their lives. We seem to be determined to do the opposite despite the opportunities presented to us!

[Latic]

F**k's sake man you're making me sound like the Daily Mail here.
Found out about this last week, felt I had to share it. My opening post was deliberately not "loaded". Links are given to both sides of the argument.

Do you want me to highlight the bits that are loaded?

I'm amazed you haven't yet Murf! Apart from the pic from one of the links nothing was deliberately "loaded".
Not at all taken that way Bunks I know exactly where you're coming from, I feel the same usually, maybe not about this though.....
Anyway it's out there for people to judge for themselves.

[Surprised]

I have lead pipes in my house and it's done me no harm...probably not anyway.......or probably has.