Food Containers
5/28/202633 min
Is it ok to store food in plastic containers?
That's the question put by listener Joe Tattersall in this, the last episode in the current series of 'Sliced Bread'. Joe's noticed scuffs and abrasions on his reusable plastic containers and is concerned about whether that increases the risk of 'chemical leaching' into his food, or ingesting microplastics. He's keen to know if alternatives like glass, silicon, or metal containers could better for our health, as well as for the planet.
And what about putting them in the microwave to heat food, using them to freeze food after batch-cooking, or putting them in the dishwasher to clean?
To find out more, presenter Greg Foot is joined by Dr Stephanie Wright, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Toxicology at Imperial College London; and Jane Muncke, Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer at the Food Packaging Forum.
We're taking a break to prepare another batch of Sliced Bread but we're as hungry as ever for your suggestions of wonder products to investigate. Please do send your ideas to us either on email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsGreg Foot· Host0:00
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. [gentle music] Hello, I'm Greg Foot, and welcome to Sliced Bread, the show that investigates the wonder products promising to make you happier, healthier, or greener. Each episode, we follow the crumbs of evidence to find out if one of your suggested wonder products is indeed the best thing since sliced bread or marketing BS. And today's suggestion comes from Joe Tattersall from Leeds. Hello, Joe.
Joe Tattersall· Guest0:27
Hello, Greg.
Greg Foot· Host0:28
Tell us the wonder product that you would like us to investigate today and why, Joe.
Joe Tattersall· Guest0:32
Today, Greg, I would like you to investigate plastic food storage containers. I want to know more about the risks from chemical leaching and from ingesting microplastics that might be associated with them, and I want to discuss if there's any alternatives that we should be looking at.
Greg Foot· Host0:47
Are you more interested in reusable containers here rather than single-use takeaway or, or ready-meal containers? So something you might put your leftovers in, keep them in the fridge, pop them in the microwave, that sort of thing.
Joe Tattersall· Guest0:59
I'm interested in both.
Greg Foot· Host1:00
Okay.
Joe Tattersall· Guest1:00
I, I quite commonly reuse takeaway tubs, but predominantly, my interest is in the, the ones that you buy from the shop with the express intent of reusing it every day to take your lunch to work.
Greg Foot· Host1:10
Oh, you're holding me one up there, and that looks red- Mm. -brown.
Joe Tattersall· Guest1:14
Um, so I wanted to bring you a couple of examples, and the first one is a branded Sistema Tupperware.
Greg Foot· Host1:19
Mm-hmm.
Joe Tattersall· Guest1:20
And this has obviously had a hard life. It's been through the dishwasher. [chuckles] It's been nuked in the microwave on countless occasions, and it is now a lovely shade of sunset