Frugal Kitchens 101 - Plastics in the Kitchen

Plastics in the kitchen are quite the norm today, ranging from plastic wrap to food packaging to storage containers and kitchenware.  In recent years there has been a lot of concern with bis-phenol A (BPA) as well as other chemicals from the plastic leaching into food.  Like many, I have been working at eliminating as much plastic as possible.  The reality is that plastic is a normal part of any kitchen.  It is virtually impossible to eliminate entirely.  In some circumstances plastic is a safer choice to use than glass as well.  When we had pools and once we move will again have a pool, glass was never allowed anywhere near the pool or deck.  We currently have a dock and don't want glass on it.  We pack picnic lunches for taking by boat to the swim hole in the summer.  Plastic is really the only safe way to transport via boat as things tend to get jostled around a bit.  Of course some metalware is available to replace plastic without the problem of glass breakage but not the wide variety you can find in plastic.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 discusses how you can safely use plastic in your kitchen. 

When using plastics in the kitchen:

• look for food grade plastics - These are wonderful for storage.  Don't use a non-food grade plastic to store any food that will come into direct contact with the food.  There could be potential leaching problems that would contaminate the food.
• hand wash - Plastics should be hand washed in hot, soapy water then rinsed and dried.  The dishwasher is an extremely harsh environment that can cause plastics to leach, warp, and develop scratches on the surface that comes into contact with food leading to an increased possibility of chemicals leaching from the plastic.
• do not heat foods in any plastic container - Heating foods in plastic containers in the microwave oven can cause chemical leaching, warping and pitting of the plastic.
• think cold - Reserve your plastic ware (eg. cups, bowls, plates, platters) for cold foods or things like hot dogs and hamburgers where the plastic will not be warmed enough to leach any chemicals.  Allow hot foods to cool before putting into plastic storage containers.