Are Plastic Food Containers Really Safe?
The short answer: No, not all of them. Time to scour your cupboard and root out those old plastic containers, cups and sports bottles.
The Issue
Recent studies have suggested that a chemical called bisphenol-A (a.k.a. BPA) — which is found in plastic containers — is hazardous to your health. This chemical is in some plastic baby bottles and “sippy” cups, transparent water bottles, harder plastic containers and the lining of canned foods. Studies have linked BPA to brain damage, immune deficiencies, behavioral issues and metabolic abnormalities. Although the FDA still claims BPA is safe, do you really want to put your family or yourself at risk?
Determining If You Have BPA Containers
Polyethylene and polypropylene are alternative plastics that researchers have determined are safe. Glass and stainless steel are other safe alternative as well. If you are not sure which chemical is in your containers, check the recycling code. On containers made with polyethylene, you will see the number 2 in a small triangle on the bottom. You’ll see the number 5 on polypropylene containers. The number that you don’t want is 7, which tends to appear on BPA-containing plastics. It is a catch-all category for plastics, however. Generally, if the plastic is hard (like on clear sports bottles), you should err on the side of caution and assume it has BPA in it — unless the manufacturer or packaging specifically says it’s BPA-free.
Handling Your Plastics
The safest choice is avoiding plastic containers totally. If you’re unwilling to give up plastic food containers (we know how convenient and pervasive they are), avoid heating foods in them or freezing them — unless they say they’re freezer- or microwave-safe. Also hand wash these containers; don’t clean them in the dishwasher. Since acidic foods tend to leach out more chemicals, store your tomato sauces and lemonades in BPA-free containers. As for your canned foods, Eden Foods makes BPA-free cans. Or you can opt for frozen choices instead.
If you do find some offenders, you may not want to overload your trash with them (since most won’t be recyclable). Consider using them to organize and store non-food items. I have some of those old souvenir plastic cups; rather than drink from them, I stash pens and pencils in them on my desk.
Unsure if your plastics are safe? If you know the brand, call the manufacturer to ask them directly — you should be able to find a customer service number on the packaging or online.
Plastic Alternatives
Many people carry a reusable water bottle to the gym or keep one at the office. My two favorite eco-friendly and BPA-free containers are Sigg and Klean Kanteen. They are pricey, but with small 12-ounce containers, I feel safer sending my child to school with them.
Does not freezing food in plastic containers apply to all- even BPA free?
I cook many of our weeknight meals ahead and freeze them in Ziploc brand tupperware or baggies. Switching to glass containers would be very costly.
how about plastic wraps and food saver bags that you use with air removing machines? do these have bpa in them? Thank You
BPA is more often found in hard plastics. If you’re concerned about your plastic wrap or resealable baggies, give the manufacturer a call and ask.
How about the plastic Ziploc sandwich and Ziploc snack baggies? I place my children’s lunches in them.
Thank you for this timely information..not only for myself but for the children in my home. I plan to make changes effective today. My children are my life and all children are (our) collective future and I want them healthy
my water container has a PC in the recycling code Is this safe? what does this PC mean?
Whats up with not freezing or heating PBA free plastic containers. I too cook ahead freeze the containers into individual lunches? Why isn’t this ok?
Check out The Soft Landing at http://thesoftlandingbaby.com/ They have a lot of information on BPA and especially on products for babies. It’s not just bottles and sippy cups but also teethers, pacifiers, and toys as well. This website helped me stay informed and know what to register for when I was pregnant.
Halimah, It can be costly if you transition quickly, but we started “collecting” glass containers a few at a time. I’d buy 2-3 every few months until are cupboards were clear of plastic. Also, we saved some $ by recycling glass containers that purchased foods came in (peanut butter, etc). They work well for leftovers and smaller quantities.
We’ve found that overall we really prefer the glass containers over the plastic ones that we once used. Hope this helps
Canada has outlawed these plastics….as a nationlized health country, obviously they don’t want to pay for health problems caused by these products…honestly, the people who make these products for children should be ashamed of themselves
Camelbak also makes a great sports bottle, they come in three sizes with the flip up sipper and they’re spill proof, so my gym bag stays dry!
My water bottles from Whole foods have a one in the triangle. Are they ok?
Thanks for the information. I had no idea about this. Glad I know now because I’ve been packing what I thought was a healthy lunch right in tupperware..little did I know the tupperware has the number 7 on the bottom and it’s probably leaking out these chemicals.
Glass wide-mouthed canning jars are great. If you’re using them in the freezer make sure you leave space at the top for the food to expand. They come in 3 sizes.
What about the #1?
Thank you for this information. Most of the plastic containers in my pantry are coded with the number 5. 2 of the containers do not have a code on them at all . In the trash these 2 go
According to The Green Guide, a website and magazine devoted to greener living and owned by the National Geographic Society, the safest plastics for repeated use in storing food are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE, or plastic #2), low-density polyethylene (LDPE, or plastic #4) and polypropylene (PP, or plastic #5). Most Tupperware products are made of LDPE or PP, and as such are considered safe for repeated use storing food items and cycling through the dishwasher. Most food storage products from Glad, Hefty, Ziploc and Saran also pass The Green Guide’s muster for health safety.
But consumers should be aware of more than just a few “safe” brands, as most companies make several product lines featuring different types of plastics. While the vast majority of Tupperware products are considered safe, for example, some of its food storage containers use polycarbonate (plastic #7), which has been shown to leach the harmful hormone-disrupting chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) into food items after repeated uses. Consumers concerned about such risks might want to avoid the following polycarbonate-based Tupperware products: the Rock ‘N Serve microwave line, the Meals-in-Minutes Microsteamer, the “Elegant” Serving Line, the TupperCare baby bottle, the Pizza Keep’ N Heat container, and the Table Collection (the last three are no longer made but might still be kicking around your kitchen).
Thanks for the information. However, reading the comments has confirmed that many questions remain as to exactly what is safe, even in the BPA-free plastics, i.e. freezing, etc. Please consider an in-depth follow-up for your readers. Thanks.
Also there are other things that come in plastic that you may be using like milk, yogurt, juices all of these things can be potentially harmful. You should get organic milk whenever possible, not just for the recyclable containers but also for the fact that they will not contain growth hormones either. These too are very dangerous for children too consume. I know organic milk is a little pricey but I just put back something in my cart that I honestly don’t need so that I can justify getting the milk that is healthier.
It is important to realize that the Nalgene bottles that are so “hot” amongst the high school and college crowd contain BPA. They tend to be trend consumers and this puts them at great risk.
I did not know that Nalgene bottles contain BPA. I thought they were safe.
Why doesn’t are government protect us better? They should see that companies don’t use harmful chemicals in the plastic containers that we buy!I guess they don’t give a ____?
those sigg bottles are really expensive, everyone can’t afford to fork out 25 bucks+.
Tiki, the bottles can be pricey but if you think about it, you can use a reusable bottle and fill it up from home filtered water or at the gym’s water fountain rather than buying bottled water all the time — so it can save you money in the end. There are less expensive BPA-free bottles. The Nalgene OTG bottle is only about $10. Just check your grocery store or Target and look on the labels.
Store leftovers in your kitchen dishes, bowls, cups, etc. Then reheat and eat and eliminate “other” storage containers.
I just checked my Tupperware and none of it has any numbers on them. I bought my Tupperware several years ago, I guess that has something to do with it. Does anyone have any idea about “old” Tupperware containers and their numbers? I have a LOT of Tupperware and there isn’t a number on any of them!
Now I find comments on new glassware and evern stainless steel strainers that they contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause birth defects… I am deeply disturbed by this. What can we use safely?????
Come on! Studies “suggest” that BPA may be harmful — that’s not enough reason for this scare! BPA may cause harm, but in humans? The FDA says the chemical is safe because epidemiologic studies do NOT show increased risk in large groups of people. These kinds of articles scare us without going in depth into the science and explaining the nuances of the situation. Short take — you take a bigger risk driving your children in your car than in using these products.
I’ve been looking for some new sports bottles that are BPA free. What has irritated me the most is manufacturer’s will put their “Made In …” sticker on the bottom of the bottle, covering up the recycling triangle! Hubby got a bit upset with me when I vented at the store manager of our local Target about it (Mr. Manager didn’t like me peeling the label off).
Hi Rene,
If you are unsure of the type of Tupperware, call the manufacturer as Kristine mentioned. It’s also a good idea to buy new ones once every so often if you’ve had the old ones a long time- you can now check that they are BPA-free or say microwave/dishwasher safe.
Can someone point out where, in the National Toxicology Program page linked to above, it says that BPA is dangerous to my health? I can’t find it anywhere on the page.
I didn’t see where anyone answered if a #1 is safe so could someone? It’s on the bottom of the Glaceau VitaminWater bottles. Would love an email on it – Lincalderon@verizon.net
Oh for Heavens Sake! This is the latest in terrorizing people. I find it ridiculous. If this is so true then why did it take so long to come out with this study. I am sorry but I think smoking, alcoholism and obesity, and fast food are much more contributing factors to disease in this country. I just can’t sweat this study. Itis unfounded as far as I am concerned. I’ll have to see more hard evidence.
What about containers that are left over after the Chinese Food delivered is consumed. Are these unsafe to be reused to store leftovers ?
Hi Matias,
The Chinese food containers should be kept for a few day max. Since you are not exposing it to high heat like the dishwasher or the freezer, the chemicals don’t leach out as easily. If you are uneasy about storing them in the containers, you can always transfer the leftovers into a BPA-free container.
Get real!! For those of you that think this all might be a “big” scare. Think again! You don’t know what’s in these plastic products! If you think that the government would protect us against any harm, well think again. I used to work in an elementary school cafeteria years ago. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff we got in that was labeled “goverment” food. I’m sure that many of leaders in government wouldn’t eat it! Still yet, this is what they sent to many schools across the country. Yes, we many be a little frantic about this, but do you want to take a chance of your family’s well being? Who knows the whole truth? Yes, other things can be as well dangerous. This is why many things are being changed, such as public smoking. Many programs against under-age drinking, and obesity in many children are now on the rise due to many studies showing the risk and dangers. I worry about my (and others) childrens safey; this is why I take this so to heart! I would like to know more information on these studies! I hope soon, we will all have the (correct) answers on our concerns for a safe plastic!
anybody consider that these harmful chemicals are hormone disrupters? Do you know what your hormones do? Control pretty much every system in your body and mostly your metabolism. Are we really eating that much more than they did 20 years ago?? Or have we chemically corrupted our systems so that they no longer work properly?
Hi Ladies, a lot of you are commenting that the plastics are not harmful to our health. If you would like to check out the Fred Hutchinson Cancer website, they show you that these plastics cause cancer. Working in the Health field for 4 years, they were always emailing us to tell our patients about the hazards. Of course the FDA doesn’t want to say that these things are harmful, they make to much money on them. The hard thing is these chemicals compound, which the FDA does not tell you. They are not harmful in small amounts and if they cleared your system each time, that would be one thing, but they don’t. Each time you are in contact, they add to the previous times, just like radiation. Sheryl Crow also stated that she knew that drinking out of water bottles that had heated up in her car and cooled back down, contributed to her breast cancer after reading about the heating up of store bought water bottles. Hmmm…think about that one.
I never knew my Nalgene could potentially harm me. However, I heard that if you don’t put hot liquids in the Nalgene it won’t release the chemicals. I only drink water out of mine. Does anyone know if this is true?
I researched BPA Free Nalgenes anyways just to be on the safe side. Theirs is made of copolyester, not polyethylene or polypropylene. Does anyone know if copolyester is safe? I know it is BPA free, but that doesn’t mean it’s ’safe’.
If you think about it, it does make sense. A long time ago you didn’t hear so much about cancer but now it is everywhere. We all know someone who has it or died
from it. Plastic was not as well used years ago like it is now. My Mother doesn’t like plastic and she uses glass bowls and dishes. She has always said it can’t be good for you. Think why has cancer so wide spread now. More people have it,not just because doctors know more about it.
The government can’t do every thing. God gave us brains to use. We have to think for ourselves and investigate things. We shouldn’t just accept that things are good for us. I am in the process of getting rid of all my plastic now. I grew up with no plastic and because it was so easy I started using it without thought. No More!!
Please take a look at what you are buying and eating. My mother was from the Greatest generation where frugal living was the norm. She used butter, whole milk that that was delivered to the door and garden fresh vegetables. Take the time to cook with fresh food.
Can the leaching out of BPA cause a person to break out
with hives? I use a lot of plastic containers for storage
of left overs and also to freeze leftovers in. I would like a reply, as I am suffering lately from hives every
day. Thank you
Yes, I think we all need to be leery of plastics given all the chemicals and petroleum used to manufacture them. Why is it so hard to believe that these plastic ingredients wouldn’t cause harm to living creatures ingesting them – whether a lab rat or a human? Cancer rates and endocrine disorders are soaring – how else can we explain this away? You didn’t find this nearly as rampant decades ago before we began using these products. In recent years I have had the opportunity to work with an establishment that does dental exams in school systems. While in the restroom of one of these schools, I was shocked to find a sign designating how the students should dispose of their feminine products – this school housed strictly 2nd graders! When I mentioned what I’d read to a co-worker, she adamently agreed that girls are menstuating at younger and younger ages, and that 2nd grade wasn’t unusual at all. Her belief is plastics and growth hormones in our meat/dairy products are causing it. Since then I have heard many people confirm that they are aware, usually from personal experience of this problem of early onset menstruation.
While you are getting rid of your plastics, consider pitching the antibacterial hand soaps, lotions etc too – anything containing Tricosan – because it is also an endocrine interrupter and bioaccumulates in our bodies and in the foodchain(animals, nature and water). Children are not very good at completely rinsing soaps from their hands, and are left with the residue absorbing into their systems.
I’m a dental hygienist and when I found out the popular brand-name toothpaste that I used and recommended to my patients contained triclosan, I immediately got rid of it and found a safer brand and formula. Good luck to you all, and don’t let the people sticking their heads in the sand discourage you from protecting yourselves and your families. I only wish I’d found info like this before my 3 little boys drank from those BPA sippies for so many years. I pray that they, and all of us, don’t end up with negative effects in the future due to our past choices and manufacturer irresponsibility.
I just bought lot of Lock 'n Lock containers 6 months ago. Talk about expense!
But I have been buying glass bread pans and casseroles each time I go shopping (every 2 weeks or so) and I found some at the Thrift Store, too.
They are bigger to store, but it is good to know my family will be healthier.
You know how people say "there must be something in the water" Well there's definitely something in the plastics. This is most likely why we Americans are getting larger and larger. At least I suspect that there is a 'big time' correlation! Boy I agree with the last person who commented (the dental hygienist) that it is odd how our daughters are beggining to develop so young. Creepy really- – and hard for these kids to handle, I'm sure. I'm so frikking mad about these companies that just keep doing business as usual. i guess it's not profitable for them to change their ways!! I wish i was STINKING RICH and I could pay for myself and others that have used these WONDERFUL products over the years to have our blood , hormones , thyroid function, etc TESTED. And…. low and behold when we find that our health, fertility, and problems we have loosing weight are caused by these profitable companies wonderful products that they have sold to us…. We could start a nice big CLASS ACTION SUIT and finally put a stop to their greed and carelessness!! I wish also that the cosmetic companies would WISE UP and stop using that Alchohal Denat or SD Alcohol that disrupts our endocrine systems. There is just Too MUCH Cheep crap that goes into all our products. I'm tired of it. It's getting to be that I don't know what is OK to Buy and Use for myself and my family!! Ok I'm DONE.