Question from Tina Riley
I am very confused about the whole plastic issue. I have been using a stainless steel glass for drinking to keep liquids cold or hot, now i read that it may be harmful. Can i freeze water in “safe” plastic and it still be “safe”
also I bought a device for the dishwasher to wash plastic zip lock bags to reuse and save “plastic” going to the landfilll now I read that the heat releases toxins?
What are your thoughts?
Debra’s Answer
For food storage, the number one safest material is glass, glass, glass.
It is always good to minimize your exposure to plastic as much as possible, if for no other reason than it is made from nonrenewable petroleum or natural gas and most plastics do not biodegrade. There may be some leaching of plastics into the food or beverage, more leaching occurs when the food or beverage is heated (this includes water bottles sitting in the sun or in a hot car). Depending on the type of plastic, there is more or less leaching and it’s more or less toxic.
Stainless steel can leach metals into food or water. More or less depending on various factors that I’m still researching. Exposure to metals may be more or less toxic than exposure to plastic.
What this all boils down to is that glass is the safest choice for food storage.
