Original title: Plasticizers interfere with endocrine, beware of health killers in packaging

Expert interviewed: Fan Zhihong, associate professor of the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University

Exquisite shapes, fashionable illustrations, now even the designs of fast food and take-out packaging boxes and wrapping paper are becoming more and more exquisite and fancy. However, these beautiful packaging not only harms the environment, but may also cause serious health problems. The latest research in the United States shows that plasticizers in fast food packaging boxes can seriously interfere with the human endocrine system, may damage the health of the reproductive system and cause infertility, and may also increase the risk of autism or asthma. A health crisis caused by packaging may be slowly affecting us.

Reproductive health is most affected

The experiment conducted by the Milken Institute of Public Health in the United States is the first study to analyze the relationship between fast food consumption and exposure to phthalates. "Phthalates are associated with many serious health problems," said Dr. Ami Zota, assistant professor and the first author of the study. Phthalates are a type of plasticizer, mainly used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials, which can make hard plastics soft and flexible. In daily life, there are shadows of it in hundreds of plastic products such as toys, food packaging materials, medical blood bags and hoses, detergents, personal care products, etc. Many foods will cause phthalates to dissolve and penetrate into the food during the processing, heating, packaging and serving process. The US Environmental Protection Department has found that phthalates can cause liver cancer; they can also interfere with the human endocrine system, and long-term exposure can affect reproductive health. Cereals and meat are the most important contributors to the dissolution of phthalates, and the risk is higher when using fast food boxes to serve rice, noodles or meat.

In the fast-paced modern life, fast food and takeout are becoming increasingly popular. The "Special Research Report on China's Internet Catering Takeaway Market 2015" shows that in 2014, the transaction volume of China's Internet catering takeaway market has exceeded 15 billion yuan, and the order volume has reached 370 million. When people can enjoy convenient and delicious food without leaving their homes and without cooking, they are likely to swallow phthalates because of the lunch boxes.

Packaging is as important as food quality

Packaging is the "outer coat" of food. Once there is a problem, food safety will also be threatened. It can be said that food packaging is as important as food quality. Studies have shown that more than 4,000 chemicals have been found in food packaging materials. If food packaging is used improperly or is counterfeit, its health risks are equally fatal.

Disposable tableware. Data shows that China consumes about 15 billion disposable lunch boxes every year, and half of them are substandard. In order to withstand high temperatures, a layer of coated paper is used inside disposable tableware to make paper-plastic tableware. According to the standard, this plastic film should be made of standard polyethylene, but some manufacturers use industrial polyethylene or waste plastic for profit, which brings huge health risks to people.

PVC cling film. A large amount of plasticizers are added to PVC cling film during the production process. Therefore, it is listed as a restricted category by the state, and it is stipulated that it cannot be directly packaged for meat, cooked food and oily foods. But it is very common to use it to wrap food in supermarkets.

Overglaze colored ceramic tableware. Ceramic tableware is often decorated with glaze colors. The production methods are divided into three types: overglaze color, underglaze color and glaze color. Among them, overglaze color can easily cause harmful metals such as lead and cadmium to dissolve. Once it enters the human body with food, it may cause chronic poisoning.

Imitation porcelain tableware. Because it is light, shatterproof and heat-insulating, the colorful imitation porcelain tableware is favored by mothers. Its professional name is melamine tableware. Qualified melamine tableware can be used at a high temperature of 150¡æ. However, some unscrupulous companies use cheap non-food packaging, such as using urea formaldehyde resin instead of genuine products for processing, which increases the danger of simulant porcelain tableware and makes it difficult to identify the quality from the appearance.

Gorgeous mooncake trays. In recent years, some manufacturers have used gold and silver mooncake trays to hold mooncakes in order to make them look high-end. Some of these brightly colored mooncake trays are made of recycled plastics with gold and silver powder added, which are prone to contain a large amount of toxic substances and heavy metals. Another survey found that mooncake trays contain a large amount of plasticizers, with the highest exceeding the standard by 800 times.

Using the right packaging is healthier

Experts remind that in order to avoid the health risks brought by food packaging to the greatest extent, you should pay attention to the following points when purchasing and using it.

1. Buying qualified products is the key. Fan Zhihong, associate professor of the College of Food Science and Nutrition Engineering of China Agricultural University, believes that you must go to regular merchants to buy qualified products. Qualified products are produced in accordance with national standards and are strictly inspected, and are generally safe. When choosing ceramic products, it is best to choose products with pure white food contact parts or underglaze colored porcelain, so as to ensure that the dye will not directly contact the food.

2. Learn to see the material and logo of the product clearly. Fan Zhihong suggested that it is best to choose PP (polypropylene) materials and products with the number "5" for water cups, fresh-keeping boxes, and take-away boxes. They are the only plastic products that can be used for microwave heating. However, the box body of some packaging boxes is made of No. 5 PP and the box cover is made of No. 2 PE. Consumers should be careful not to put such box covers into the microwave to heat together. When choosing plastic wrap, PE and PVDC materials are the first choice. PE is non-toxic and suitable for refrigeration and freezing of vegetables, fruits and meat, but cannot be heated. PVDC plastic wrap has excellent oxygen, odor and moisture resistance, and can also be used for microwave heating.

3. It is healthier to use the right method. Experts say that if you need to pack food home, you must buy a lunch box with the number "5" and a note that it can be heated in a microwave. When using plastic wrap in a microwave, try to avoid contact between food and film. When heating food, you should poke a few small holes in the plastic wrap covering the container to prevent it from bursting. (Life Times reporter Li Yang)

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