Pay attention to plastic bagged foods

Ms. Huang, Tandongli, Beichen District Consultation: When the food stalls are eaten early, the stall owners do not wash the dishes. They often use plastic bags on the bowls. They often smell a strange smell. I wonder if plastic bags are poisonous. This use will not endanger health.

The reporter consulted with the packaging materials expert Professor Han Yongsheng of the School of Packaging and Printing Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology. Experts pointed out that using plastic bags can also be used for daily necessities, and food must be taken carefully. Do not use colored plastic bags for foods that are directly consumed, and do not use unqualified plastic bags to contain hot foods or oils and fats.

Packaging foods are recycled plastic bags

Professor Han introduced that the daily use of plastic bags can be roughly divided into two types: new plastics and recycled plastics. According to Article 7 of the “Sanitary Management Measures for Plastic Products and Raw Materials for Foods” promulgated by the Ministry of Health, “any plastic food utensils, containers, and food packaging materials may not be recycled plastics.” Therefore, packaged foods cannot be made of recycled plastics. Plastic bag. Recycled plastic bags currently sold on the market have a complex source of raw materials, and a considerable number of them are recycled and reprocessed using waste plastics. Without disinfection or disinfection, they may contain germs. Some colored plastic bags have more impurities due to raw materials, and manufacturers have to add pigments to cover them. Some reusable plastic bags may also be made of pesticides, chemical agents, medicines, and chemicals that are packaged and recycled, and may themselves contain a large number of substances that are harmful to the human body. The colorants and other impurities in recycled plastic bags may come into contact with food and may cause harm to the human body.

Experts teach you how to identify

A considerable number of unqualified plastic bags are used for food packaging, but because consumers do not have a particularly effective method to identify and distinguish whether plastic food bags are hygienic, they seriously endanger people's health. For this reason, experts propose some routine methods of identification.

One is to see. Look at the color first. Colored plastic bags cannot be used to hold direct entrance foods. In general, plastic bags that meet hygiene requirements are milky white or colorless and transparent. Plastic bags that do not meet hygiene requirements are turbid and may appear yellow, red, green, black, and other colors, but some use recycled plastic as raw materials. Plastic bags are also white. Next, look for plastic bags for impurities. Place the plastic bag in the sun or light to see if there are black spots and impurities can be seen. Plastic bags with impurities must be made from waste plastic.

The second is smell. Smell the plastic bags for odors. Qualified plastic bags should be free from any odors. Unqualified plastic bags will have a variety of flavors due to the use of additives.

Plastic bag with little hot and oil food

Professor Han reminded that if it is impossible to determine whether the plastic bag is safe, it should avoid using it to contain overheated foods, fats and oils, and direct entrance foods. Unsafe plastic bags contain mainly harmful substances such as dyes, heavy metals and other unknown harmful substances. The oils contained in oily foods such as meat, fish, and fritters can cause harmful substances in plastic bags to precipitate; and high temperatures can cause plastics to soften, which can also accelerate the precipitation of harmful substances and cause harm to consumers.

Experts remind consumers to increase their awareness of self-protection, develop a scientific, hygienic, and healthy lifestyle, use less plastic bags for hot food, refuse to use unqualified plastic bags for food, and buy breakfast on the street. When you are forced to use plastic bags, you must remove the food from the plastic bags as soon as you go home and place them in relatively safe containers.

Use plastic packaging

Professor Han pointed out that even if plastic food packaging bags are safe, do not use plastic bags for high temperature foods for a long time. In addition, it is preferable to use a microwave oven to heat the food, and a special plastic container for a microwave oven or a ceramic or glass container for a microwave oven is preferable. Refrigerator and frozen foods in the refrigerator use plastic wrap instead of ordinary plastic bags.

Reprinted from: Tonight News