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Tupperware, a cult kitchen brand, which has been a household chore for decades, recently Received a rescue circle from its creditorsBut business is still faced with emergency problems. Given the prospects of the brand, You may be interested in how long your storage of containers for storing products is safe, especially if it is vintage.
To find out the answer to this question for any type of reusable plastic products for storing food, and not just for Tupperware, often comes down to understanding what they are made of. Bisphenol A, better known as BPA, is a chemical substance, which, according to the United States Institute of Environmental Health SciencesFor many years, it was used in the production of certain plastics to make them more durable and destructive. Unfortunately, BPA can also make their potential health danger.
In human research, BPA exposition It was associated with a higher risk of a wide range of diseases or health problems, such as infertility, a change in the fetal growth, attention deficiency and aggression syndrome among children, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and cardiovascular diseases, said Laura Vandenberg, professor of environmental sciences at the University of Massachumers.
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In addition to food containers, BPA was used in various other products, such as broken windows, bottles of water and glasses, as well as in resins covered with metal food jars, tops for bottles and water pipes. According to Vandenberg, the composition of your plastic product may depend on the year when you bought it.
Since March 2010, Tupperware has been selling goods in the USA and Canada without BPA, According to his web siteField
CNN contacted Tupperware for comment, but did not receive an answer.
“We worry about those tough, resistant to sustainable plastic that were made ten years ago, which were made with BPA,” Vandenberg said. “Every time they are used, they leach a small amount of BPA of them … Even the low BPA levels that are leaching from consumer plastics, canned foods or other consumer goods … They were shown, and people should certainly take care of this.
“If it is unsafe on the day you buy it, it is not safe in 10 years,” Vandenberg said. In fact, the longer you own them, the risky for your health, she added.
The risk of contingent wear
Set stress on plastic food containers, wash them in a dishwasher or with rough shrubs of brushes, “increase the ability of this plastic to leach, which it is from,” Vandenberg said. According to James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing in consumer reports, non -profit research, non -profit research, testing and consumer organization.
According to Vandenberg, in these products it makes very sour products, such as tomatoes or citrus fruits in these products.
She added that the “microwave safety” label on some plastic containers does not mean that the product is completely safe in terms of health.
“Some of the plasticizers and chemicals can be transferred from plastic containers to food during heating,” Rogers said. “Thus, we fully act that you transfer your food from a plastic container to a glass bowl and in the microwave in this way.”
According to Vandenberg, the discoloration of the container can signal that a chemical change has occurred in plastic. “Usually this happens because there are a lot of small micro-holes or micro-processing,” she explained. “And now there is interaction with food and plastic (because plastic decomposes). Therefore, if the plastic is discolored, he tells you that this plastic breaks. ”
Any damaged plastic containers for storing food should be discarded, said Sam Cole, Global Director for Certification of products, food equipment and chemicals in the National Security Fund, an organization that contributes to the development of public health standards and certification programs to protect food, water, consumer goods and the environment.
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• Source: CNN Business
BPA in the body
According to the Institute of Environmental Health, most of the daily effect on BPA occurs through a diet. “The reason that we worry about BPA is that when, returning by the 1930s, when it was tested for use as a pharmaceutical drug, it was clear that it acts as an estrogen”, Vandenberg said. “Estrogen is a fairly powerful hormone that is important for propagation and fertility, but is also very important for the development of the genital organs, brain development and metabolic control.
“This plays a role in the development of muscles and the development of fat,” she added. “Thus, even a small amount to mess with the paths of estrogen or estrogen in our body can have really serious results for our health.”
Vandenberg added that the shape of the molecules in BPA makes it more likely to contact Estrogen receptors. “I avoid using these reusable plastics as much as possible, because I still have to see good evidence that there are consumer plastics that are free from estrogenic properties.”
As a rule, plastics with the PC label (for polycarbonate) or disposal codes of three or seven are probably BPA, according to Vandenberg and the Institute of Environmental Health of the United States.
According to Vandenberg, some manufacturers phase BPA and other bisphenols, sometimes called analogues, from their products, and not regulatory actions, but not all.
“Think about replacing them with something, which is chemically inert, like glass,” Vandenberg said. “If you cannot afford to replace everything at once, replace them one by one.”
“I know that this is difficult, it can break, and everything else, but we think that the advantages of using glass containers for storing food and warming up food outweigh risks,” Rogers said.
According to Vandenberg and the Institute of Environmental Health and the Institute of Ecological Sciences of the United States, you can also choose porcelain, ceramic or stainless containers, especially for hot products and liquids.
