jaybee
06-11-2003, 07:33 PM
Tuesday, November 04, 2003 By Melissa Knopper, E/The Environmental Magazine
Open the refrigerator in a typical American home, and you'll find milk, orange juice, and plenty of plastic. Every day, we reach for individually wrapped cheese slices, dip spoons into plastic yogurt cups, and offer babies sips of milk from plastic bottles.
If used with common sense, plastics and food can be a safe combination, experts say. But certain types of plastic are made with chemicals that may cause health problems if they leach into food. For example, meat defrosting in the microwave could pick up chemicals from a styrofoam tray that starts to melt from the high heat.
Beware of Plasticizers
In general, the more flexible the plastic, the more likely it is to contain plasticizers called phthalates, which make it more pliable. While some phthalates are harmless, others may cause cancer. Clear rigid plastic made of polycarbonate (used to make baby bottles) also may leak the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A.
So think twice before heating that takeout container in the microwave, said Suzanne Snedeker, associate director of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors (BCERF) Program at Cornell University. Plasticizers can leach into food at high temperatures, Snedeker explained.
"Some plasticizers can mimic the effects of certain hormones; they're chemical messengers in the body," she said. "There is concern because some plasticizers can mimic the effects of estrogen, a hormone known to affect breast cancer risk."
Bisphenol A, used in rigid polycarbonate plastics, also mimics estrogen. In addition to plastic baby bottles, bisphenol A is found in plastic cutlery, water bottles, tooth fillings, and the plastic coating inside canned fruits and vegetables. Animal experiments have linked bishphenol A to an increased risk for breast and prostate cancer, low sperm counts, and female infertility at very low levels of exposure.
Environmental health advocates from Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the National Environmental Trust are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to keep chemicals like bisphenol A out of food containers, particularly baby bottles. Environmental groups also want the FDA to require companies to disclose the use of phthalates and compounds that mimic hormones on plastic container labels, including bottled water.
"We should be attempting to minimize our exposure to these things," said Tom Natan, a toxicologist and research director of the National Environmental Trust. "In order to do that, we have to know they are there."
Industry Assurance
So far, the FDA and representatives from the plastics industry have resisted these requests, arguing compounds like bisphenol A do not leach out of plastic containers at high enough levels to pose any health threat.
"We did a ton of testing and supplied our results to the FDA," said Jerome Heckman, general counsel for the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI). "They are satisfied it is not a problem."
But other scientists and environmental groups say the FDA needs to take a closer look at bisphenol A. For example, the FDA should use independent studies instead of industry data for its analysis of the health risks associated with bisphenol A, said Frederick vomSaal, a University of Missouri biologist.
The data from bisphenol A animal studies is significant, vomSaal said. So far, about 50 research papers have shown harmful effects: everything from an increased risk for diabetes to deformed genitals in males.
"It has been shown in birds, mammals, rats, frogs, fish, flies and snails," vomSaal said. "The reproductive system of every type of animal is damaged by this chemical in incredibly similar ways."
The FDA has not yet required labels on plastic containers, but some companies are taking steps to reassure customers their products are safe. For example, the Clorox Company, which makes Glad cling wrap and plastic containers, says none of its products contain harmful phthalates. Instead, the company uses a safer type of plastic — polyethylene — that does not require additives for flexibility.
Clorox spokesperson Jennifer Barnhart says consumers are too quick to assume all plastic wrap brands are identical. And contrary to an incorrect e-mail that has been circulating, cling wraps do not leach dioxin, she said.
"The bottom line is not all plastics are the same; they can be as different as the cotton in a shirt or the rayon in a jacket," she said.
Another popular brand, Saran Original, contains chlorine and plasticizers, but not phthalates, according to the manufacturer, S.C. Johnson & Sons. The company points to a Harvard research study that shows the plasticizer used — acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) — does not cause cancer or any other health problems.
Gerber executives did not respond to questions about the contents of their plastic baby bottles. A call to its consumer hotline reveals that its clear plastic bottles are made of polycarbonate. A customer service employee said the company will not take them off the market or mention polycarbonate on the label until the FDA requires it.
Due to negative publicity about phthalates, plastic wrap manufacturers are now using a new class of plasticizers called adipates, said Ted Schettler, science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network.
"We don't know as much about adipates as we do about phthalates because they haven't been studied as carefully yet," Schettler said.
Until scientists, industry, and government regulators settle their debates over the issue and until manufacturers start including ingredients on their labels, shoppers will be left in the dark about plastic food products, Schettler said. To help consumers make safe decisions, Schettler and other environmental health experts shared these common-sense tips:
* Only buy plastic wrap labeled "microwave safe." Even if it has that label, be careful to keep it an inch or two above food when heating in the microwave. Fatty foods, such as meat or cheese, are at the highest risk for chemical contamination. In general, wraps made of polyethylene are safer than polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film (which is more likely to contain plasticizers).
* Avoid plastic wrap and use other coverings to prevent splattering, such as a glass or ceramic lid, wax paper or a cloth napkin.
* Flexible margarine tubs or whipped topping containers will warp or melt and leach chemicals in the microwave. Only use plastic containers labeled "microwave safe." Avoid PVC containers marked with the #3. Polycarbonate containers are marked with #7. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) #1, polypropylene #5, and high density polyethylene (HPDE) #2 are less likely to have harmful additives.
* If possible, avoid using plastic containers in the microwave. Instead, opt for glass or ceramic Pyrex-type bowls and plates designed for microwave use.
* Call the manufacturer to find out if your clear, hard plastic baby bottles are made of polycarbonate. If they have been boiled or washed in the dishwasher more than 20 times or are badly scratched throw them out. Studies show worn polycarbonate bottles leach bishphenol A at a rate that is 1,000 times higher than new bottles.
* If you have polycarbonate baby bottles, do not put them in the microwave to warm milk or formula, as this could cause bisphenol A to leak into the liquid. Instead, heat the formula on the stove and transfer it to the bottle. Or simply fill the bottle with lukewarm tap water.
* To be safe, trade polycarbonate bottles for colored or opaque plastic bottles made of safer plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Evenflo also makes a set of tempered glass baby bottles that do not break as easily as regular glass ones.
With all of the uncertainty surrounding the safety of plastic packaging and containers, some consumers feel they are better off avoiding them when possible.
"Most people feel if a product is on the shelf it has been thoroughly tested, but that simply is not the case," Schettler said. "Given that political reality, why not try to find safer alternatives until all the evidence is in?"
Melissa Knopper is a Colorado-based freelance writer who specializes in health topics.
Open the refrigerator in a typical American home, and you'll find milk, orange juice, and plenty of plastic. Every day, we reach for individually wrapped cheese slices, dip spoons into plastic yogurt cups, and offer babies sips of milk from plastic bottles.
If used with common sense, plastics and food can be a safe combination, experts say. But certain types of plastic are made with chemicals that may cause health problems if they leach into food. For example, meat defrosting in the microwave could pick up chemicals from a styrofoam tray that starts to melt from the high heat.
Beware of Plasticizers
In general, the more flexible the plastic, the more likely it is to contain plasticizers called phthalates, which make it more pliable. While some phthalates are harmless, others may cause cancer. Clear rigid plastic made of polycarbonate (used to make baby bottles) also may leak the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A.
So think twice before heating that takeout container in the microwave, said Suzanne Snedeker, associate director of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors (BCERF) Program at Cornell University. Plasticizers can leach into food at high temperatures, Snedeker explained.
"Some plasticizers can mimic the effects of certain hormones; they're chemical messengers in the body," she said. "There is concern because some plasticizers can mimic the effects of estrogen, a hormone known to affect breast cancer risk."
Bisphenol A, used in rigid polycarbonate plastics, also mimics estrogen. In addition to plastic baby bottles, bisphenol A is found in plastic cutlery, water bottles, tooth fillings, and the plastic coating inside canned fruits and vegetables. Animal experiments have linked bishphenol A to an increased risk for breast and prostate cancer, low sperm counts, and female infertility at very low levels of exposure.
Environmental health advocates from Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the National Environmental Trust are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to keep chemicals like bisphenol A out of food containers, particularly baby bottles. Environmental groups also want the FDA to require companies to disclose the use of phthalates and compounds that mimic hormones on plastic container labels, including bottled water.
"We should be attempting to minimize our exposure to these things," said Tom Natan, a toxicologist and research director of the National Environmental Trust. "In order to do that, we have to know they are there."
Industry Assurance
So far, the FDA and representatives from the plastics industry have resisted these requests, arguing compounds like bisphenol A do not leach out of plastic containers at high enough levels to pose any health threat.
"We did a ton of testing and supplied our results to the FDA," said Jerome Heckman, general counsel for the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI). "They are satisfied it is not a problem."
But other scientists and environmental groups say the FDA needs to take a closer look at bisphenol A. For example, the FDA should use independent studies instead of industry data for its analysis of the health risks associated with bisphenol A, said Frederick vomSaal, a University of Missouri biologist.
The data from bisphenol A animal studies is significant, vomSaal said. So far, about 50 research papers have shown harmful effects: everything from an increased risk for diabetes to deformed genitals in males.
"It has been shown in birds, mammals, rats, frogs, fish, flies and snails," vomSaal said. "The reproductive system of every type of animal is damaged by this chemical in incredibly similar ways."
The FDA has not yet required labels on plastic containers, but some companies are taking steps to reassure customers their products are safe. For example, the Clorox Company, which makes Glad cling wrap and plastic containers, says none of its products contain harmful phthalates. Instead, the company uses a safer type of plastic — polyethylene — that does not require additives for flexibility.
Clorox spokesperson Jennifer Barnhart says consumers are too quick to assume all plastic wrap brands are identical. And contrary to an incorrect e-mail that has been circulating, cling wraps do not leach dioxin, she said.
"The bottom line is not all plastics are the same; they can be as different as the cotton in a shirt or the rayon in a jacket," she said.
Another popular brand, Saran Original, contains chlorine and plasticizers, but not phthalates, according to the manufacturer, S.C. Johnson & Sons. The company points to a Harvard research study that shows the plasticizer used — acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) — does not cause cancer or any other health problems.
Gerber executives did not respond to questions about the contents of their plastic baby bottles. A call to its consumer hotline reveals that its clear plastic bottles are made of polycarbonate. A customer service employee said the company will not take them off the market or mention polycarbonate on the label until the FDA requires it.
Due to negative publicity about phthalates, plastic wrap manufacturers are now using a new class of plasticizers called adipates, said Ted Schettler, science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network.
"We don't know as much about adipates as we do about phthalates because they haven't been studied as carefully yet," Schettler said.
Until scientists, industry, and government regulators settle their debates over the issue and until manufacturers start including ingredients on their labels, shoppers will be left in the dark about plastic food products, Schettler said. To help consumers make safe decisions, Schettler and other environmental health experts shared these common-sense tips:
* Only buy plastic wrap labeled "microwave safe." Even if it has that label, be careful to keep it an inch or two above food when heating in the microwave. Fatty foods, such as meat or cheese, are at the highest risk for chemical contamination. In general, wraps made of polyethylene are safer than polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film (which is more likely to contain plasticizers).
* Avoid plastic wrap and use other coverings to prevent splattering, such as a glass or ceramic lid, wax paper or a cloth napkin.
* Flexible margarine tubs or whipped topping containers will warp or melt and leach chemicals in the microwave. Only use plastic containers labeled "microwave safe." Avoid PVC containers marked with the #3. Polycarbonate containers are marked with #7. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) #1, polypropylene #5, and high density polyethylene (HPDE) #2 are less likely to have harmful additives.
* If possible, avoid using plastic containers in the microwave. Instead, opt for glass or ceramic Pyrex-type bowls and plates designed for microwave use.
* Call the manufacturer to find out if your clear, hard plastic baby bottles are made of polycarbonate. If they have been boiled or washed in the dishwasher more than 20 times or are badly scratched throw them out. Studies show worn polycarbonate bottles leach bishphenol A at a rate that is 1,000 times higher than new bottles.
* If you have polycarbonate baby bottles, do not put them in the microwave to warm milk or formula, as this could cause bisphenol A to leak into the liquid. Instead, heat the formula on the stove and transfer it to the bottle. Or simply fill the bottle with lukewarm tap water.
* To be safe, trade polycarbonate bottles for colored or opaque plastic bottles made of safer plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Evenflo also makes a set of tempered glass baby bottles that do not break as easily as regular glass ones.
With all of the uncertainty surrounding the safety of plastic packaging and containers, some consumers feel they are better off avoiding them when possible.
"Most people feel if a product is on the shelf it has been thoroughly tested, but that simply is not the case," Schettler said. "Given that political reality, why not try to find safer alternatives until all the evidence is in?"
Melissa Knopper is a Colorado-based freelance writer who specializes in health topics.