Plastic Containers

Plastic containers can leech a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) into your foods and drinks.

This is particularly true if you warm up your food while it’s still in the plastic. The amount of leeching is proprotional to the temperature it is kept at. Also, foods with some acidity and oils in them tend to be more prone to this (think spaghetti sauce).

So be on the lookout for containers that are BPA free.

They may not be easy to find, though. According to the report “Seeking Safer Packaging”, 14 of the largest public packaged food and beverage companies still use the controversial packaging chemical in their packaging despite studies linking it to developmental problems, heart disease and diabetes.

You can read the full report here.

There are safer alternatives to BPA. In fact, six of the largest baby bottle manufacturers announced last month that they would phase it out of all bottles sold in the US. Heinz has already replaced the BPA in some of its products (liners in cans). Going further, legislation in Canada and the US is currently under consideration to ban its use in products aimed at children under the age of three.

That said, food safety regulators in both the US and the EU assure us that there is no risk to consumer health through exposure to BPA in packaging at current levels. But, assurances aside, where our health is concerned, we should be conservative and put our food in packaging that we are certain won’t introduce health problems.