Are certain plastic food containers safer to reuse than others? What is considered a “safe” amount of exposure to the chemicals they contain? The recommended exposure limits for different chemicals present in plastic food packaging and containers are continuously changing as more research is published. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), for example, recently proposed to decrease what is considered a safe daily exposure to bisphenol A (BPA; CAS 80-05-7) by a factor of 100,000 (FPF reported). BPA is still widely used in many plastics used for food packaging and food processing equipment.

All plastics are complex materials containing many different chemicals that can transfer from the packaging into the food they carry, contact, or cook. However, this process of chemical migration into food is dependent on the type of plastic, contact time, temperature, food type, and the contact area between the plastic container and the food. Therefore, whether your plastic container is safe to reuse depends on what it was designed for and how you are using it.

Containers made of some non-plastic materials release less amounts of chemicals into food when they are used under the same conditions. These are called “inert” materials and include glass, ceramic, and stainless steel.

In brief, chemical migration from plastic and other types of food packaging into food is greatest:

  1. Over extended time periods

Tip: Shorten the storage time of foods.

The longer a food is in contact with packaging, the more time chemicals can migrate from the packaging into the food (FPF reported, also here).

  1. At higher temperatures

Tip: Heat foods in containers made of inert materials like ceramic, glass, or stainless steel.

The warmer the food and the package, the more chemicals are likely to migrate from the container into food. This includes in the microwave. Place foods like frozen ready meals on a plate before cooking, and let leftovers cool before placing in a storage container (especially in a plastic one) (FPF reported, also here and here).

  1. With fatty and/or acidic foods

Tip: Prefer inert containers for fatty and hot foods.

Many chemicals migrate at higher levels in fatty and/or acidic foods than in aqueous foods (FPF reported, also here and here).

  1. When packaged in smaller serving sizes

Tip: Avoid small portion sizes.

Small packaging formats have a high surface-to-volume ratio, which means more of the food is coming into contact with the packaging, enabling higher migration levels (FPF reported).

The four tips shown above can help you take small steps to decrease your exposure to synthetic chemicals that migrate from reusable and non-reusable packaging into food. Take a look at the Food Packaging Forum’s chemical migration fact sheet that provides a simple overview of all general chemical safety considerations in one place. It is available for download in 18 different languages.

Looking for more information about a specific chemical, packaging type, or policy issue? Then do a keyword search for it on our website by clicking the magnifying glass in the upper right corner of this page. A separate set of fact sheets also provide an introduction to five common material types used in food packaging along with their material properties that can affect their application, chemical safety, and recycling (FPF reported). One of these fact sheets focuses specifically on plastic packaging.

To stay up to date with the latest scientific and stakeholder updates across the field, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

 

Read More

Food Packaging Forum (October 10, 2012). Plastics – plastic food packaging.

Food Packaging Forum (2017). “Fact Sheet: Food Packaging and Human Health.”

Food Packaging Forum (2021). “Fact Sheet: Food Packaging and Recycling.”

Share