Plastic Kitchenware: How Safe It Really Is?

Published : 08 Jan 2019, 15:11

Jagoroniya Desk

Plastic kitchenware is often used mainly because it is convenient, cheap and lightweight. They are literally everywhere we go whether it’s at home, school, work or at the store.

What’s even better is the variety you can get from plastic in terms of color, shapes and sizes all at an affordable price.

There are even microwave-safe containers and plastic cooking utensils. However, are you really sure that plastic is safe for use in kitchenware?

To determine this, we need to take a look at the plastic itself first.

So, What is Plastic?
Plastic is a synthetic material that is made from a number of organic polymers (e.g. PVC, nylon, bpa, polyethylene etc.) that can be molded into any shape when soft and then set into a slightly elastic or rigid form.

In short, plastic is a bunch of chemicals blended together. Let’s take a look at some of these chemicals: Bisphenol A (BPA).

BPA is considered as one of the most pervasive chemicals today. It is the component that makes plastic hard. As a result, it is used in a wide range of consumer products including food packaging, utensils and cutlery.

Dangers of BPA: BPA has been linked to a number of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and breast cancer. PhthalatesThis is a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

These chemicals make plastic soft and are mostly used in making sippy cups, cosmetics and fragrances.

Dangers of Phthalates: Exposure to phthalate has been linked to wide range of medical issues including breast cancer, male fertility issues, autism spectrum disorders, type II diabetes, ADHD, asthma and low IQ.

Vinyl chloride
It is mostly used to make light plastic materials like shower curtains.

Dangers of Vinyl Chloride: It causes cancer.

Styrene
This is the material used to make egg cartons, disposable cups and plates, Styrofoam food trays and opaque plastic cutlery.

Dangers of Styrene: It is a possible cause for cancer. These are just a few of the hazardous compounds found in plastics.

The scary part is, there many more which haven’t yet been studied therefore, no one knows the extent of their damage. However, we can clearly see that kitchenware that uses plastic gives as a dose of all those unwanted and harmful chemicals.

How do the Harmful Chemicals Enter Our Bodies?
The alarming thing about these chemicals is that they get into our bodies through different ways. It can be through swallowing the particles, smelling or simply touching them.

In most cases, these chemicals are also released as a result of wear and tear of the plastic, chemical reactions or heat. Therefore, next time you use plastic kitchenware, keep in mind the kind of risk you’re exposing yourself to.

Plastic has even been attributed to dropping the sperm count of men worldwide by 40% and for increasing cases of infertility.

In Conclusion
Although the components found in plastic won’t affect you immediately, they definitely mess with your normal body functions.

Over time, this can lead to negative effects. So, is using plastic kitchenware safe? Well, it’s safe to say that it is not 100% safe. Now, it is up to you to choose what you think is right for your body!

Source: activefeel.com

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