9 November 2016
Food labels are essential for listing the ingredients that are used to produce the product, but it unfortunately does not list every potential substance that could be lingering within. Majority of food items involve some form of plastic; a toxic substance found to influence the health of consumers. There is irony when walking into a Whole Foods to see these allegedly healthy, organic foods as they sit there absorbing the toxins of the plastic packaging. This source of health-influencing material is not the first thing people think of when they think of food. However, it should be. This is why overall plastic packaging should be reduced and why alternatives should be sought; to create a better well-being.
The use of plastic as a food storing system has been around since the early 1930s with the invention of polyvinylidene chloride or, later known as, ‘SaranTM’. Corporations have increased the use of plastic packaging within the last 40 years, starting with the packaging of ‘Swanson TV Dinners’. A time in the plastic packaging history, when industries found that pre-packaged food sold faster; more products are capable of transporting at once. Therefore, packaging of food had become a necessity among corporations. They found that plastic packaging reduces the chances of rotting products and prolongs the expiration date, which leads to greater yields and profits.
However, plastic contains several detrimental substances that have adverse health effects, such as polyvinylchloride, phthalates, polycarbonates, polystyrene, and polyethylene. These chemical additives are mixed with plastic polymers by industries to change the quality and type, depending on its intended use; whether it is the coating for the inside of a cereal box or the bag used to hold a dozen oranges. These additives are potent hormone disruptors, which lead to the adverse effects of brain and behavior changes, cancer, reproductive system changes, birth defects, skin diseases, breathing difficulties, and the list goes on depending on the concentration of a substance in the plastic.
One of the most notably known substances found in plastics is bisphenol A (BPA). This substance is singled out in plastic packaging for directly disrupting sex hormones, such as estrogen. Studies have also shown that humans with high levels of BPA in their system have a higher rate of diabetes, heart disease, and liver toxicity.
Chemical industries acknowledge that these substances leach into the products and have noted that this transfer is unavoidable; they are expected. They have also noted that increasing the heat of the plastic directly increases the amount of substances being transferred.
Even the inside of the cereal box contains a plastic, waxy filament that comes into direct contact with the food. In 2010, Kellogg Company recalled 28 million boxes of cereal because of elevated levels of methylnaphthalene, which is found as part of the waxy filament. This substance is the exact same substance that is released into the air by stack emissions and fuel combustions. Alongside the chemical influence that plastic has, is the physical. Kraft had recalled their individually wrapped cheese slices. The plastic that surrounded the cheese had melted and became embedded, which became a choking hazard.
A suggested alternative to reduce the plastic influence- and decreasing the risk of exposure to hormone inducing substances- is to buy locally. Buying local means there is a reduction in environmental impact, which translates into less need for transportation. Therefore, there is no need for products to be wrapped in plastic to maintain freshness; products are handmade and freshly picked. Attempting to buy more from local farms or farmers markets, decreases the chance of the food being exposed to any forms of toxic substances.
It is time for corporations and people to realize that there are alternatives to this harmful plastic packaging. In the United States, more than 2 billion pounds of plastic is manufactured annually. It is impractical to those who attempt to avoid plastic altogether. There are several options to help reduce the amount of exposure, which is to confine in other methods of packaging and storage. Storage types that range from glass jars to aluminum foil; objects that are not as prominent as plastics are with chemical additives. Aluminum foil is essentially all aluminum mixed with a type of oil for production (oil that is eventually burned off before actual use).
Plastic has revolutionized packaging for corporations because it is highly moldable, inexpensive, and lightweight. Even with the scientific evidence that supports the harmful effects caused by the plastics leaching into food products, corporations continue to use it for profit. The numbers only continue to escalate since 40 years ago. The best solution for people would be to keep aware of the amount of plastic being used and to take into account how much they may be consuming; accumulation of substances alternatively creates worse health effects. To create a better sense of well-being is to know, essentially, what is fully going into the body.
Food labels are essential for listing the ingredients that are used to produce the product, but it unfortunately does not list every potential substance that could be lingering within. Majority of food items involve some form of plastic; a toxic substance found to influence the health of consumers. There is irony when walking into a Whole Foods to see these allegedly healthy, organic foods as they sit there absorbing the toxins of the plastic packaging. This source of health-influencing material is not the first thing people think of when they think of food. However, it should be. This is why overall plastic packaging should be reduced and why alternatives should be sought; to create a better well-being.
The use of plastic as a food storing system has been around since the early 1930s with the invention of polyvinylidene chloride or, later known as, ‘SaranTM’. Corporations have increased the use of plastic packaging within the last 40 years, starting with the packaging of ‘Swanson TV Dinners’. A time in the plastic packaging history, when industries found that pre-packaged food sold faster; more products are capable of transporting at once. Therefore, packaging of food had become a necessity among corporations. They found that plastic packaging reduces the chances of rotting products and prolongs the expiration date, which leads to greater yields and profits.
However, plastic contains several detrimental substances that have adverse health effects, such as polyvinylchloride, phthalates, polycarbonates, polystyrene, and polyethylene. These chemical additives are mixed with plastic polymers by industries to change the quality and type, depending on its intended use; whether it is the coating for the inside of a cereal box or the bag used to hold a dozen oranges. These additives are potent hormone disruptors, which lead to the adverse effects of brain and behavior changes, cancer, reproductive system changes, birth defects, skin diseases, breathing difficulties, and the list goes on depending on the concentration of a substance in the plastic.
One of the most notably known substances found in plastics is bisphenol A (BPA). This substance is singled out in plastic packaging for directly disrupting sex hormones, such as estrogen. Studies have also shown that humans with high levels of BPA in their system have a higher rate of diabetes, heart disease, and liver toxicity.
Chemical industries acknowledge that these substances leach into the products and have noted that this transfer is unavoidable; they are expected. They have also noted that increasing the heat of the plastic directly increases the amount of substances being transferred.
Even the inside of the cereal box contains a plastic, waxy filament that comes into direct contact with the food. In 2010, Kellogg Company recalled 28 million boxes of cereal because of elevated levels of methylnaphthalene, which is found as part of the waxy filament. This substance is the exact same substance that is released into the air by stack emissions and fuel combustions. Alongside the chemical influence that plastic has, is the physical. Kraft had recalled their individually wrapped cheese slices. The plastic that surrounded the cheese had melted and became embedded, which became a choking hazard.
A suggested alternative to reduce the plastic influence- and decreasing the risk of exposure to hormone inducing substances- is to buy locally. Buying local means there is a reduction in environmental impact, which translates into less need for transportation. Therefore, there is no need for products to be wrapped in plastic to maintain freshness; products are handmade and freshly picked. Attempting to buy more from local farms or farmers markets, decreases the chance of the food being exposed to any forms of toxic substances.
It is time for corporations and people to realize that there are alternatives to this harmful plastic packaging. In the United States, more than 2 billion pounds of plastic is manufactured annually. It is impractical to those who attempt to avoid plastic altogether. There are several options to help reduce the amount of exposure, which is to confine in other methods of packaging and storage. Storage types that range from glass jars to aluminum foil; objects that are not as prominent as plastics are with chemical additives. Aluminum foil is essentially all aluminum mixed with a type of oil for production (oil that is eventually burned off before actual use).
Plastic has revolutionized packaging for corporations because it is highly moldable, inexpensive, and lightweight. Even with the scientific evidence that supports the harmful effects caused by the plastics leaching into food products, corporations continue to use it for profit. The numbers only continue to escalate since 40 years ago. The best solution for people would be to keep aware of the amount of plastic being used and to take into account how much they may be consuming; accumulation of substances alternatively creates worse health effects. To create a better sense of well-being is to know, essentially, what is fully going into the body.