Plastics and food

betterbargains4u

My OH told me the other day about a news report about plastics he had watched on tv.
Unfortunately I did not see it.
Apparantely it stated something that I have always believed to be the case anyway. The plastic leeches into certain types of food and can cause cancer!!
I have not used cling film for years and am careful (to a certain extent) about buying plastic wrapped foodstuffs. However, in this day and age.....everything seems to be packaged this way.

We buy it wrapped in plastic.
We cook it in plastic (microwaved)
We store it in plastic (fridge and freezer)

I spent some time as a petrol station manager for a large foodchain supermarket and know the dangers of petroleum related products. (plastic is produced from this)
This knowledge scares me silly!!

I am going to try to shop the old fashioned way....ie..greengrocers..market etc.
Am also going to try to stop storing things in plastic.

Did anyone else see this shocking report and if so....are you going to change your habits?
Any ideas welcome.

doddsy

betterbargains4u - hi, I also try very hard to not buy foodstuffs in plastic, and will not have clingfilm anywhere near food. Two friends of mine have had breast cancer and they also try to eliminate plastics from their homes because of the research they have done on the level of oestrogens in them.

Food is kept in the fridges in basins with a saucer upturned over it, I also store pantry stuff in the old glass sweet jars shops used to have.

Sandwiches are wrapped in foil (which I will clean and reuse if not in contact with meat) and then recycle. cellophane so I understand is the least worrying.

My two main storage problems are
1. dds taking drinks to school, plastic bottles
2. the freezer - plastic bags or boxes.
any suggestions?

doddsy

ScoobieGirl

My old boss told me once that the average American's !!!! is so full of toxins from eating foods contaminated with plastics and pesticides that it would be deemed unfit for human consumption.

Disturbing on so many levels!

recovering_spendaholic

I have heard that it is unsafe to reuse plastic water bottles so I don't even buy bottled water now, but it seems that plastic is used for almost everything these days. It does worry me...

Addiscomber

doddsy wrote:

My two main storage problems are
1. dds taking drinks to school, plastic bottles
2. the freezer - plastic bags or boxes.
any suggestions?doddsy

You could get an aluminium flask or camping drinks bottle for the school drink - should be tough enough, they are a bit pricey though.

Reuben_3

My old boss told me once that the average American's !!!! is so full of toxins from eating foods contaminated with plastics and pesticides that it would be deemed unfit for human consumption.

Hope Americans have been warned!!

betterbargains4u

Has anyone got any suggestions for what can be used instead of tupperware boxes and the like to freeze stuff in?
I hardly ever used to use freezer bags anyway...but eliminating plastic from your freezer is very hard!!

purpleimp

I was wandering the same thing about finding alternatives to plastic, I use my pyrex dishes in the oven far too often to warrent putting them in the freezer! (unless it's sheppards pie or lasagne, then it has to be a dish,) everything else in my freezer gets put into tupperware boxes or bags for stews and bolognaises etc, I can't imagine trying to freeze a soup without tupperware, this will be hard going, jars are out because all of my jars are getting reserved for going into the christmas hampers, I've been pondering this one since I read the thread and I'm drawing blanks!! *:o(xxx

beetrootjuicer

I've been trying to avoid plastics for years, for both health and eco reasons, but it's all but impossible to cut them out of you life completely. As I understand it, it's fatty foods that absorb the most toxins from plastics so am extra careful with them.

I always freeze casseroles, soup, etc. in glass (jars, casserole dishes, basins). Haven't had a disaster yet but you have to handle them gently. This is quite Old Style as you can use them over and over again and glass jars are free anyway. If I can't avoid plastic I try to wrap things in greasproof paper first in the hope that I'm putting a barrier between the plastic and the food, not so Old Style as you have to buy the paper. Also I always use stainless steel for cooking, not non-stick. Ever wondered where the coating goes when non-stick starts to wear or get a little bit scratched???!!!!! :eek: I also use the basin and upturned plate or saucer technique instead of cling film for storing stuff in the fridge.

Strepsy

doddsy wrote:

betterbargains4u - hi, I also try very hard to not buy foodstuffs in plastic, and will not have clingfilm anywhere near food. Two friends of mine have had breast cancer and they also try to eliminate plastics from their homes because of the research they have done on the level of oestrogens in them.

Food is kept in the fridges in basins with a saucer upturned over it, I also store pantry stuff in the old glass sweet jars shops used to have.

Sandwiches are wrapped in foil (which I will clean and reuse if not in contact with meat) and then recycle. cellophane so I understand is the least worrying.

My two main storage problems are
1. dds taking drinks to school, plastic bottles
2. the freezer - plastic bags or boxes.
any suggestions?

doddsy

My kids have the aliminium drinks bottles, they do have a plastic lid though. I think they have one for £1 in Asda. Woolies and lots of places sell them though.

doddsy

beetrootjuicer- I didn't know you could use jars in the freezer, will give that a go, and putting a barrier like greaseproof paper between food and plastic.

thanks Strepsy, I don't have an Asda near but will look at Woolies on Saturday.

doddsy