Your health benefits of switching to reusable bags
From plastic bags, trays, containers with different brightness, thicknesses, more or less rigid, they are used to contain food in the food industry. Fruits and vegetables prepackaged in bags, herb and nut trays, containers with leafy greens, or prepackaged tomatoes are just a few examples.
The types of plastics used for food packaging are:
- PET, identified with number 1
- HDPE or high-density polyethylene identified with number 2
- PVC or polyvinyl chloride identified with number 3
- LDPE or low-density polyethylene identified with number 4
- PP or propylene, identified with number 5
- PS or polystyrene identified with number 6
- OTHER identified with number 7
Although all these plastics are considered “safe” to be in contact with food, they have been shown to filter out estrogenic chemicals dangerous to health in 95% of plastic types, according to a study. Especially numbers 3, 6, and 7 are the most toxics. Some problematic substances used in the manufacture of plastics are bisphenol A or (BPA), lead, styrene, mercury, phthalates, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, among others, which are endocrine disruptors, which interfere with hormones and reproductive system. Substances that are also associated with certain types of cancer, hyperactivity and attention deficit, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, among other health problems. Contaminants from plastic resins enter our system by contact, inhalation, and ingestion.
Opting for fresh, whole, and unpackaged produce available on the market or at the farmers market will give you the benefit of reducing your exposure to the chemicals in plastics that are common in most food packages sold in most from supermarkets. Therefore you will minimize your health risks and that of your family.