what the hell wednesday: microwaves and plastic

I received an email warning me about the dangers of microwaving in plastic containers. The email said researchers at Johns Hopkins linked microwaving plastic to toxic levels of dioxin leaking into food. It was forwarded to me, along with a list of other moms, from a concerned mutual acquaintance.

Oh dear.

Step number one when forwarding research based emails-- double check the validity of the research. The main page of the Johns Hopkins website refutes the email.

Here's the skinny:
Dioxins are not the problem. The actual problem with plastics is pthalates, which can leach into water and food, particularly when heated, and cause hormone disruption.

Here's the no-no list:
*Try to use glass or microwave safe ceramic containers when microwaving. If you use plastic, make sure it is microwave safe.
*When you put Saran Wrap on top of a dish to reheat, wrap it loosely and don't let the wrap touch the food.
*Don't use a straw with hot liquids.

And don't worry about freezing water bottles or storing foods in plastic in the freezer. Cold decreases chemical leaching.

You can apparently also stop worrying about pthalates in baby toys-- the particular chemicals are banned. Of course, lead is a whole other issue. And while baby might be safe, mommy and daddy need to practice safe sex-- pthalate-safe, that is. Sex toys often contain pthalate filled plastics. Hormone altering toys? Hmm, sounds like a whole new market, especially for the transgendered.

So, although this email was inaccurate, still use caution with plastics. Remember, you can't always believe everything you read; some sources are easily found to be misleading while others, like the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy web site, use mystifying and ambiguous statements to cover any contingency: "We...believe the benefits of using plastic wrap to protect food safety and quality on the shelf to far outweigh the imagined risks..."