Chances are high that you are among the thousands of Kenyans who carry packed food either to work or usually pack your food in plastic containers for later consumption.
But have you ever stopped and wondered how safe the practice is, especially when you leave those hot meals in plastic containers over time?
Well, this everyday habit could be silently harming your health.
Behind the convenience of plastic containers lies a growing concern among experts: harmful chemicals may be getting into your food and slowly affecting your body's health.
According to experts, most plastics contain compounds like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates. These are known as endocrine disruptors because they mimic hormones in the body.
When food is stored in plastic, especially under heat or prolonged storage, small amounts of these substances can get into the food.
According to the U.S. National Toxicology Program Centre for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction report, BPA has potentially harmful effects on the brain, behaviour, and prostate glands of foetuses and infants.
Additionally, these compounds cause hormonal imbalances, fertility issues, certain cancers, and developmental problems in children.
Although some manufacturers now label products as ‘BPA-free,’ studies have shown that alternative chemicals may also have harmful effects.
Plastics Exposed to High and Low Temperatures
Reheating food in plastic containers in the microwave or pouring hot soup or tea into them accelerates the release of the chemicals.
While freezing food in plastic could be slowing the chemical release, the expansion of frozen food can cause microcracks in containers, making them prone to the leaching of the compounds into your food.
What to Do
Experts advise switching to glass, ceramics, or stainless steel containers for food storage, especially for hot meals.
However, the use of plastic is also not strictly a bad practice. If you have to use plastic, check the manufacturer's recycling codes.
In Kenya, though not all manufacturers have adopted the insertion of the codes that show the type of plastic used to make the containers.
