This is the danger of wrapping hot food in plastic

In this day and age, plastic always plays a role in everyday life. This has made the use of plastic wrappers or packaging in the community to increase, including as food wrappers. In fact, for certain types of food, such as hot food, wrapping food in plastic is not recommended. Check out the reasons below.

Why is wrapping hot food in plastic dangerous?

Researchers have found that the chemicals in plastic products are responsible for a wide variety of medical conditions. The reason is, all types of plastics are made from petroleum with a mixture of various toxic chemicals.

As an example, Bisphenol A (BPA) which causes bodily disorders such as infertility or decreased fertility, Polystyrene (PS) which is carcinogenic and triggers cancer.

In addition, there are also other materials such as PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) which is very dangerous for the health of the body. Therefore, when plastic is exposed to high temperatures, the substances contained in the plastic can release various chemicals.

If consumed, these chemicals will enter the body's tissues. the factor that causes easy transfer of these chemicals is due to the weak bond structure of the plastic, namely the residual plastic monomer. The migration of the remaining plastic monomer is greater if the food that is wrapped contains high temperatures, such as meatball soup, fried foods, high-fat foods, or foods that contain high acid levels.

The transfer of chemicals into food is also affected by the length of contact between food and plastic. So, when food with a high temperature is left too long in the plastic, the remaining contact with the plastic monomer will also increase.

What are the possible health risks of consuming hot food in plastic?

All plastics contain toxic chemicals that have a negative effect on immune and hormone regulation which indirectly affects fertility.

Therefore, if you are accustomed to consuming hot food wrapped in plastic continuously and for a long time, it may cause changes in tissue susceptible to cancer, infertility, genetic damage, chromosomal errors, miscarriage, and birth defects.

Based on a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, it is explained that the chemicals used in plastics, such as bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), can actually cause stem cells to become fat cells. This causes your metabolism to be reprogrammed so that it is possible for you to store more calories which puts you at risk of obesity.

You need to know that fetuses, infants, and children are the age groups most at risk of adverse effects from chemicals due to the use of plastic in contact with hot food. The reason is, this is related to the process of growth and development, it is possible to be disrupted due to exposure to these chemicals.

How to avoid the dangers of plastic in your food

Based on the explanation that has been described above, that is why it is very important to minimize the use of plastic in everyday life. Here's how you can apply it at home:

Avoid wrapping hot food in plastic. We recommend that you use a container made of glass, ceramic, or stainless steel for your food container.
Do not use plastic when heating food in a microwave oven, especially plastics made from PVC or PS. Use this type of packaging food grade specifically used for microwave ovens.
Avoid wrapping food in recycled plastic (recycle), like a black “crackle” bag.