It's hard to get through a day without someone warning that a friendly food, chemical, or drug is dangerous and must, at all costs, be avoided. Then, two days later we either hear a conflicting report, or we hear nothing again. It gets so confusing that many people just tune out all of these reports.

For example, the California diet was the rage for some time. Vegetables and pastas were good and forget the meat. Now, everyone seems to be on "The Zone" diet, a diet that makes bread, pasta, and some fruit a major no-no. In fact, The Zone diet claims that meat is good, because it is high in protein.

This article is about another danger claim. But stay tuned .. I will try to give you the entire story so that you can decide what to do. The claim is that plastic wrap, and other plastic containers, can leach dangerous substances into food and may make people sick. Recently, Tufts University published a Health and Nutrition Letter that cautions against using plastic when microwaving foods. The study warns that the plastic constituents may migrate into the food during the cooking process. The Letter recommends that food not be microwaved in original plastic packaging, or in old margarine containers, as well as other containers intended for cold foods. Glass, wax paper, parchment and cooking bags are deemed to be preferable.

In addition to the alleged cancer risk associated with plastic wrap and packaging, it is also reported in the Tufts newsletter that certain plastic constituents may be "endocrine disruptors." Apparently, these substances may affect fertility or enhance the chance of contracting cancer.

In late 1998, Massachusetts PIRG, which is a Ralph Nader founded organization that stands for Public Interest Research Group, warned that plastic food packaging should be outlawed. The Report is called "It's Perfectly Clear, The Case Against Food Packaging." If you want to purchase a copy, send $10.00 to MASSPIRG, 29 Temple Place, Boston, Massachusetts.

MASSPIRG initially explains that food wrap essentially belongs in the vinyl family. The scientific name for the polymer common to food packaging is PVC and PVDC. Most PVC is used in construction. In 1994, 7% of PVC sales were for packaging. When used as food packaging, it is often produced as a "cling" wrap, with brand names that are familiar to all of us. In a thicker form, it is used to package soft drink bottles and the like.

According to MASS PIRG, the following concerns have been recently raised about PVC food packaging: (1) PVC may cause cancer; (2) these materials may "migrate" into foods that are packaged in these materials; (3) there are other environmental concerns relating to their incineration and ultimate disposal.

MASSPIRG recommends that PVC no longer be used for food packaging. It has recommended a mixture of educational and protest-related measures to achieve this outcome.

In response to these concerns, as well as others recently voiced, Georgetown University's Center for Food and Nutrition Policy issued a February 8, 1999 statement suggesting, in effect, that everyone just calm down. It cautions that "extensive research" has found no peer reviewed studies which support the allegation that one of the plastic wrap constituents, DEHA, is an endocrine disruptor. In fact, the statement even warns that the accused DEHA may have been confused with DEHP, which is an entirely different substance.

Since fatty foods do appear to absorb DEHA, just about everyone, including Reynolds Products, seems to suggest that we not microwave our food in cling wrap materials. This seems to me to be a common sense response. Perhaps predictably, the American Plastics Council asserts that plastic packaging is safe and that its benefits more than outweigh any detriments associated with its use.

I suggest that you reach your own conclusions. One thing that everyone seems to agree on is that microwaving in cling wrap, and other plastic containers not approved for this purpose, it probably not the best idea. Doing so infrequently may be harmless, but the repeated practice may be problematic.

As to the other plastic wrap questions, there is a lot of conflicting information. I am going to monitor this issue, and for now will wait and see.

More Environmental Related Topics:

Published: June 24, 1999

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.