Plastic Food Container Safety

Plastic containers are a huge part of modern life. Perhaps their use is nowhere more significant than in the storage of foods. Stored food comes in contact with plastics, plasticizers, intentional additives, and inadvertent contaminants. Plastic food containers are asserted to be safe, and the resin used in their manufacture is assigned a number to help understand their recyclability. These containers are not totally inert and leach varying levels of metals and chemicals into the foods they store-especially if subjected to elevated temperatures. The safest containers appear to be those made from resins with the ID numbers 2, 4 (except food wraps), and 5. This editorial looks at the various types of plastics used in the manufacture of food containers, their typical contaminants, their toxicity, and the median amount of migration of contaminants into food.