Plastic Food Wrap - wrapping your kids lunch at $250 per year

CHOICE magazine always makes for good reading. My husband and I have consulted their website before buying fridges, children's car seats and digital cameras. However I was quite surprised to see that they have also reviewed plastic food wrap. My particular interest in researching this topic was the cling wrap many of us use to wrap our kids sandwiches in or cover bowls of food to be placed in the fridge. On their website they state that they want to phase out risky plastics and mention that cling wrap is made from PVC. PVC is usually hard, so plasticisers are added to make it soft and flexible. "Plasticisers can make up as much as 40% of the plastic material. Phthalates and DEHA (di-(2-ethyhexyl)adipate) are often added as plasticisers to the PVC that’s used for food packaging; again, recent research raises doubts about the safety of these compounds." "BPA and phthalates are endocrine disruptors, meaning they can mimic the body’s natural hormones and thereby cause a raft of health problems. Infants and the very young are most vulnerable to exposure because of their lower body weight and because their growth and development are strongly influenced by hormones; the effects on health can be lifelong. These effects have been seen clearly and consistently in experiments with animals and when people or wildlife have been accidentally exposed to high levels of endocrine disruptors. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement calling for more research into the possible harmful effects of BPA, reinforcing growing concerns about its safety. While these compounds are undoubtedly hazardous at high levels of exposure, scientific opinion is divided over the risk from the much lower levels that we’re exposed to every day in our food. There is, however, growing scientific evidence that even at these lower levels of exposure, phthalates and BPA may be causing problems such as infertility, obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease and diabetes." This was taken directly from their website under the heading 'Plastics and Food' by David Oakenfull. This prompted me to investigate further on the internet. There are so many websites talking about the dangers of plastic food wrap, it was hard to know where to start, without spending hours and hours reading. I had a brief read of them, and scrolled down the the Cancer Council website. They mention the following: Some studies have found low levels of di-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) when certain types of fatty foods wrapped in plastics, such as meat and cheese, have been ingested. T he amount of chemical absorbed by the food is dependent on the temperature of the plastic wrap and food, the duration of any heating, the type of plastic wrap used, storage time and initial plasticiser content, as well as the type of food. The results of most studies show that the levels of plasticiser that might be consumed as a result of the use of plastic wrap are well below the levels showing toxic effect in animal studies. The International Agency for Research on Cancer states DEHA is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. Meaning there is currently inadequate evidence to suggest that this compound causes cancer. They go on to mention that to avoid unnecessary exposure avoid using cling wrap in the microwave unless it is labelled as microwave safe. I must admit I have never looked for this warning on my cling wrap. I have noticed that when I use cling wrap in the microwave it often goes soft and 'melts', creating holes. They also mention using inert containers for cooking or re-heating food instead of cling wrap. So if you are concerned about using cling wrap to store food, or wrap your kids sandwiches for school in, here are my tips: Many schools and day care centres are moving to "Nude Food" policies to eliminate cling wrap. Use air tight or virtually air tight containers to store sandwiches and snacks in. My favourites are the Sandwich Keepers from Tupperware. A student who takes one sandwich and two snacks wrapped in cling wrap equals 100 metres of cling wrap to landfill in one year. This adds up to about $250 per year for the average family. The Sandwich Keepers are $29 for two or $58 for 5, have a life time guarantee, are reusable and think of the money you'll save on cling wrap? There are other lunchboxes available as well. Visit www.tupperware.com.au then email your order through to paulinestips@gmail.com. Interstate and international orders accepted, postage charges may apply.