[at-l] Cooling in Plastic

[dfaddleton@mindspring.com (David)]

Why this article has an ax to grind and doesn't provide "conclusive" info:

http://www.quackbusters.com.au/chronicles/plastics.htm
Plastics : Quackbusters Chronicle Volume 2 No 10
Quackbusters Chronicle Promoting better health through better understanding
NOTICE: The Quackbusters Chronicle Volume One e-book is now available! This
contains all of the first year's chronicles and more.

>>Myth: Plastics do not pose a health risk if we use them to prepare or
store
food.
>>Fact: There are many varieties of plastic used in the household, all of
them
derived from petrochemical sources.

Notice that the "Fact" does not directly the "Myth" and relies on prejudice
regarding "petrochemicals" to suggest a necessary health risk.

Also notice the "straw man" argument here attacks PVC which, the article
admits for accuracy's sake, but the damage is already done when the
admission appears:

>>One of the most common is PVC, which stands for polyvinyl chloride, and is
one of the most versatile and widely used of all plastics. In the liquid, or
monomer form it is highly toxic and a known carcinogen. When the monomer is
polymerised to form the solid plastic, it is no longer considered dangerous,
but a very small amount of the toxic monomer still remains in the product.
This can diffuse out of the plastic container into the food, particularly if
the food is oily or strongly acid or alkaline.

>>For example, do not use plastic containers for making fruit drinks or
sauerkraut, or for storing edible oil or salad dressings. Used in microwave
cookery, plastics are not such a good idea. If they touch hot food, that
toxic diffusion will take place, albeit a small amount, but it all tots up.

>>When PVC is heated, more of that toxic monomer is released as the
structure
becomes less rigid and more pliable; hence more diffusion takes place into
the food contained within.

>>Although most food wraps are no longer manufactured from PVC, but the much
safer polyethylene plastic, still try and avoid their contact with warm or
acidy foods.

If the dangerous PVC is no longer a part of the manufacturing process, why
should we worry about PVCs?????

>>Other health implications are posed by phthalates, a widely used
plasticiser
softener, residues of which have been found in human blood and urine.
Although phthalates break down relatively quickly, finding any amount of
these compounds means that people are repeatedly exposed to them. Long-term
exposure to phthalates have been shown to adversely affect the liver,
kidneys, and heart.

The question I have is whether the phthalates are used in manufacturing the
plastics we use to cook or cool in. This paragraph does not answer that
question. Another straw man.

>>Another major concern of plastics is their ability to stimulate the
cellular
activity of our reproductive organs, in much the same way as estrogens and
testosterone - our real hormones. These plastic-derived compounds are called
xenoestrogens which will compete to bind onto specific receptors on the
cells of our reproductive organs, but unlike plant hormones (phytoestrogens)
which are protective and block cellular activity, xenoestrogens will
abnormally stimulate it.

This is no doubt a reference to the alligator testicles, but the issue is
whether the xenestrogens are found in the plastics we use to cook and cool
in. If the stuff gets in our bodies from the plastic in our cars, and not in
the plastic bags we use to cook, why are we talking about xenoestrogens in
this article?  Another straw man.

>>If you open the door to your car on a hot day and notice a thin fog on the
inside of the windshield, let the vehicle air before you get into it,
otherwise, you will be inhaling xenoestrogens released from the hot plastic
components in the vehicle cabin.

Should we start bicycling or sequaying our way to trail heads?

Health Tip: Although plastics are wonderfully versatile and useful, glass is
much safer for food handling and storage, not to mention its use in
microwave cookery. Using paper towelling in place of plastic food wrap in
microwave cookery can also minimise exposure and food contact to plastics'
less attractive characteristics.

This conclusions simply does not follow logically from the information
presented in this article . . . No where does the article state that
substances alleged to pose a health risk is found in the plastics we use for
cooking and cooling.
=============
> Here's a question for you folks cooking in plastic bags. Searching for
some
> conclusive info too.