Is there really something to the central claim of this e-mail, that heating plastic in microwaves releases a cancer-causing agent into the food? It’s within the realm of possibility, but it must be stressed the FDA does impose stringent regulations on plastics meant for microwaving. Also, if there are dioxins lurking in the plastic containers we heat food in and the process of warming those receptacles looses those nasties into our ingestibles, we’ve yet to locate the studies that prove this.
…the results of the experiment described tended to indicate that diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) and xenoestrogens could migrate from plastic wraps into microwaved food (specifically olive oil, the "food" used in the experiment), but only with some brands of plastic wrap (primarily ones not sold as "microwave-safe") and only when the plastic wrap was in direct contact with the food being heated; moreover, no research has yet demonstrated that DEHA poses a significant cancer risk to humans at the levels noted here (even though they exceed FDA standards) or that xenoestrogens are a direct cause of breast cancer in women or reduced sperm counts in men.
Most plastic used in the kitchen melts at relatively low temperatures. You can see the evidence of that melting in the pitted sides or warped lid of any supposedly microwavable plastic container that has been used for a long time. (You might not be aware that microwaves are much more effective at heating oils than at heating water, so anything with a high fat content will get much hotter than other foods.( If you’ve eaten at a cafeteria or lunch counter that serves food on styrofoam plates, I’m sure you’ve seen your food melt right into them. The chemicals used in plastics are universally regarded as being unhealthy to ingest, so it is self evident that putting hot food (or microwaving food) in plastic or styrofoam containers is going to be bad for you. The only questions are how bad for you and in what ways.
The Snopes article is misleading in at least three ways:
1) As far as I can tell, the FDA does not impose "stringent regulations on plastics meant for microwaving." It made some regulations, but doesn’t enforce them. A manufacturer can stamp "microwave safe" on his plastic containers without actually having to prove the claim to anyone. The FDA is notorious for allowing these kinds of claims. If you have enough money, jump through the right paperwork hoops or if you know the right people, then you can get your products approved for just about anything. The FDA is probably responsible for as many lost lives through misplaced trust as it is for saved lives through safer products.
2) Cancer is the only malady addressed, with only a passing mention of one small aspect of fertility. Admittedly that’s what the original question was about, but they really should have mentioned the fact that the chemicals potentially released by hot plastic could cause many more problems than just cancer. Some things that ought to be looked into: impotence, infertility, birth defects, developmental disorders, immune system disorders, and probably a thousand other things.
3) Snopes uncritically accepts the word of plastic industry proponents over that of its detractors. The very serious findings of Miss Nelson’s two years of research are dismissed with a "no research has yet demonstrated…a significant cancer risk to humans…" BS. Use your brains.
I refer to Snopes to verify or refute a lot of the rumors that people send through email. They do a decent job with most things. They really did a sloppy job with this one, though. Considering the massive volume of plastic in every aspect of our lives, I think that avoiding ingesting them might be a good idea.
More info:
–Noble Nutrition (Soon to be a lot more info about what people should and should not be putting into their bodies!)
–The Straight Dope
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