{"id":7316,"date":"2026-02-28T09:47:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T09:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=7316"},"modified":"2026-02-28T09:47:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T09:47:47","slug":"tupperware-and-plastic-container-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=7316","title":{"rendered":"Tupperware and plastic container safety"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Sign up for CNN\u2019s Adulthood, But Better newsletter series. <\/em>Our seven-part guide has tips to help you make more informed decisions around personal finance, career, wellness and personal connections.<\/em><\/a> <\/em>\n<\/p>\n

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\n Tupperware, the iconic kitchen brand that\u2019s been a household name for decades, recently received a lifeline from its creditors<\/a>, but the business still faces extreme challenges. Given the brand\u2019s prospects, <\/strong>you might be wondering how long your stash of its food storage containers is safe to use \u2014 especially if it\u2019s vintage.\n <\/p>\n

\n Figuring out the answer to that question for any type of reusable plastic food storage products \u2014 not just Tupperware \u2014 often comes down to understanding what they\u2019re made of. Bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA, is a chemical that, according to the United States Institute of Environmental Health Sciences<\/a>, has been used for years in the production of certain plastics to make them more durable and shatter-resistant. Unfortunately, BPA can also make them potential health hazards.\n <\/p>\n

\n In human studies, BPA exposure<\/a> has been associated with a higher risk of a wide range of health conditions or issues, such as infertility, altered fetal growth of the fetus, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and aggression among children, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, and heart disease, said Laura Vandenberg, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.\n <\/p>\n

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Plastic water bottles are not just bad for environment – how they impact your health\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Plastic water bottles are not just bad for environment – how they impact your health<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n In addition to food containers, BPA has been used in various other products, such as shatterproof windows, water bottles and eyewear, and in resins coating metal food cans, bottle tops and water supply pipes. The composition of your plastic product can depend on the year you bought it, Vandenberg said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Since March 2010, items Tupperware sells in the US and Canada are BPA-free, according to its website<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\n CNN has contacted Tupperware for comment but has not received a response.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe worry about those hard, shatter-resistant plastics that were made a decade ago, that were made with BPA,\u201d Vandenberg said. \u201cEvery single time that they\u2019re used, they\u2019re leaching small amounts of BPA out of them. \u2026 Even the low levels of BPA that leach from consumer plastics, canned food linings or other consumer goods \u2026 have been shown to be associated with harm, and people certainly should care about it.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cIf it\u2019s not safe the day you buy it, it\u2019s not safe 10 years later,\u201d Vandenberg said. In fact, the longer you own them, the riskier they are for your health, she added.\n <\/p>\n

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\n Putting stress on plastic food containers by washing them in the dishwasher or with rough scrub brushes \u201cincrease the ability of that plastic to leach whatever it was made out of,\u201d Vandenberg said. Scratches can create deep grooves for bacteria to reside in as well, said James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, a nonprofit research, testing and consumer advocacy organization.\n <\/p>\n

\n Putting highly acidic foods \u2014 such as tomatoes or citrus fruits \u2014 in these products does the same thing, Vandenberg said.\n <\/p>\n

\n The \u201cmicrowave safe\u201d label on some plastic containers doesn\u2019t mean the product is totally safe from a health standpoint, she added.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cSome of the plasticizers and chemicals can transfer from the plastic containers into the food during heating,\u201d Rogers said. \u201cSo we totally advocate that you transfer your food from a plastic container into a glass bowl and microwave it that way.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Discoloration of a container can signal that a chemical change has occurred in the plastic, Vandenberg said. \u201cUsually that is happening because there\u2019s lots of little micro-holes or micro-tears,\u201d she explained. \u201cAnd now there\u2019s an interaction with the food and the plastic (because the plastic is degrading). So if the plastic is discolored, it\u2019s telling you that that plastic is breaking down.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Any damaged plastic food storage containers should be discarded, said Sam Cole, global director of product certification, food equipment and chemicals at the National Safety Foundation, an organization facilitating development of public health standards and certification programs for the protection of food, water, consumer products and the environment.\n <\/p>\n

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5 ways to cut your plastic waste\n <\/p>\n

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\n The majority of daily exposure to BPA happens through diet, according to the US Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. \u201cThe reason why we worry about BPA is that, going all the way back to the 1930s when it was tested for use as a pharmaceutical, it was clear that it acts like an estrogen,\u201d Vandenberg <\/strong>said. \u201cEstrogen is a pretty powerful hormone that is important for reproduction and fertility, but also really important for the development of sex organs, development of the brain and controlling metabolism.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt has a role in muscle development and fat development,\u201d she added. \u201cSo even small amounts of tinkering with the estrogen or estrogen pathways in our body can have really serious outcomes for our health.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n The shape of the molecules in BPA make it more likely to bind to estrogen receptors, Vandenberg added. \u201cI avoid using those reusable plastics as much as possible, because I have yet to see good evidence that there are consumer plastics that are free from estrogenic properties.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Generally, plastics with the label \u201cPC\u201d (for polycarbonate) or recycling codes three or seven likely contain BPA, according to Vandenberg and the US Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.\n <\/p>\n

\n Some manufacturers have been phasing BPA and other bisphenols, sometimes called analogues, out of their products due to public attention \u2014 rather than regulatory action \u2014 but not all, Vandenberg said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThink about replacing them with something that\u2019s chemically inert, like glass,\u201d Vandenberg said. \u201cIf you can\u2019t afford to replace everything all at once, replace them one at a time.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

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\n \u201cI know it\u2019s heavy, it can break and all the rest of that, but we think that the advantages to using glass containers for storing food and reheating food outweigh the risks,\u201d Rogers said.\n <\/p>\n

\n You can also opt for porcelain, ceramic or stainless-steel containers, especially for hot foods and liquids, according to Vandenberg and the US Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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