Many plastic containers are entirely safe for food storage. In fact, food storage is one of the main uses of plastics. With that said, not all of them are. This means, in general, it is safe to reuse plastic food containers for food storage. It is not, however, necessarily safe to reuse other types of plastic containers for food storage.
To explain further, Nick Mills, General Manager of Ansini shares his insights into the safety of plastic containers around food.
Which plastics are safe for food storage?
The main plastics used for food storage are:
Of these, PETE is by far the most used plastic in the food industry. In fact, it is arguably the default option for food storage containers. For example, it is used for plastic drinking bottles and most plastic containers for solid foods.
HDPE is used when containers need to be particularly durable. For example, it is often used for the large containers of food sold to commercial kitchens. LDPE is the total opposite. It’s typically used for wraps such as bread bags and frozen food packaging.
PP is more robust than LDPE but less robust than PETE and far less robust than HDPE. It is typically used for containers that need to be fairly strong but not especially protective. For example, it is often used for yoghurt tubs.
Which plastics are unsafe for food storage?
The main plastics that are considered unsafe or potentially unsafe for food storage are:
What is BPA?
BPA is an industrial chemical that has been in use since the 1960s. Its use in food packaging is controversial because it has been linked with hormone disruption. Overall, however, UK law does allow food packaging that contains BPA.
With that said, the four main plastics used in food packaging do not contain BPA. BPA is therefore only likely to be found in containers sold on their own. For example, reusable water bottles may contain BPA.
As a rule of thumb, if reusable food containers do not contain BPA, this is stated in the product description. Quite simply, vendors and manufacturers are both well aware that many consumers do not trust BPA, no matter what the law says. If it isn’t mentioned, then there is a strong chance that the product does contain BPA.
Why has plastic become so popular for food storage?
There is little to nothing that plastic can do that other materials couldn’t. For example, many of the benefits of plastic also apply to glass. Some also apply to paper. The reason why plastic has become so popular is that it offers these benefits plus extra safety plus lower cost.
For example, if you compare plastic to glass, plastic has the obvious benefit of robustness. This makes it much safer. Plastic is also lighter. This is a major benefit for transporters and significantly lowers fuel costs.
If you compare plastic to paper, plastic is much more robust. This makes it harder to tamper with. It also means that produce is less likely to get damaged. This lowers food waste and hence also lowers costs.
The main benefits of using plastic containers for food storage
Recyclable and reusable plastic containers respect the environment while still offering many benefits for food storage. Here are some of the main ones.
Plastic containers can be kept airtight
Containers have to be airtight to be hygienic. This is particularly important with food containers because the smell of food can attract pests. If pests share human food without humans noticing, people can become seriously ill. Even if they don’t eat the food, just having them around can lead to serious health issues e.g., Weil’s disease.
Plastic containers help to keep food fresh
The fact that plastic containers are airtight helps to keep food fresh. Essentially, it creates a barrier between the food and anything that would age it prematurely.
This is particularly important when food has already been weakened in some way. For example, if a food item has been chopped ready for cooking, it will be more vulnerable than a whole food item.
In some cases, plastic containers can be designed in a way that promotes freshness. For example, they may be designed to drain off any liquid that comes out of the food.
Plastic containers protect food
Attempts are being made to increase the amount of food grown locally. This would, of course, reduce the need to transport food over long distances. Right now, however, it is still very common for food to need to be moved around over wide areas. What’s more, the more that food is processed, the more distance it usually has to cover.
For example, if a farmer sends food directly to a retailer, that is one trip. If, however, a farmer sends food to a food-processing facility and the food-processing facility sends it to a retailer, that is two trips. This is one of the reasons why food that is processed in any way, however simply, is generally noticeably more expensive than unprocessed food.
Once the food has reached the retailer, it may then need to be stored and distributed between various outlets. It will then need to be taken to the customer’s home. The food needs to be protected on all of these trips.
If it’s damaged before it’s sold, it may not be sold at all. If it is, the price may need to be lowered. If it routinely gets damaged on the way to customers' homes, customers are likely just to stop buying it.
Plastic containers discourage tampering
Tampering is not necessarily malicious. For example, children may open packages out of curiosity. It is, however, generally unhygienic. This is why it’s vital to prevent as much of it as possible and to identify quickly when it has happened.
Plastic containers can be printed on directly
Using plastic containers enables manufacturers to put necessary information (e.g., ingredients) directly on the container. This eliminates the risk of labels coming off (or becoming obscured). It, therefore, improves both convenience and safety.
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