Recommendations from the Food Safety Department on foam and plastic food containers
With the aim of providing consistent, objective and reliable information to consumers, the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene (Ministry of Health) has just released official information about foam boxes and plastic food containers. Previously, the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene requested the Vietnam Food Standards Committee (Vietnam CODEX Committee) to consult international standards and data on foam food containers to have basic information on this issue...
Bad ingredients are toxic
Styrofoam boxes are produced by polymerizing styrene monomer technology - a product in petroleum processing, forming foam called polystyrene (PS). This foam contains up to 95% air and only 5% polystyrene, so it is very light. Foam extrusion technology can produce many different products such as food containers, insulated boxes, insulation panels, ceilings, etc. In addition to PS, compounds to make food and beverage containers can also be: expanded polystyrene (EPS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These materials are used to make food boxes for fast food stores, food retail establishments including beverages, etc. Among the above materials, PP can withstand the highest temperatures - from 100oC to 120oC - for a long time, while the other three types are not suitable for storing hot food above 100oC .
Although PS is a very safe material, the chemicals used to produce PS (including styrene and ethylbenzene) are harmful to health, causing neurological effects and affecting liver and pancreatic function. If the raw materials used to produce PS are not good, the foam box also has the risk of containing toxic substances such as heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.
Because it is an object in contact with food, the toxicity and safety of PS for human health have been carefully studied and evaluated by health agencies of countries and international organizations. Since the 1990s, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have conducted assessments and recommended: the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of styrene is 0.04 mg/kg body weight for humans. Experiments on animals showed that consuming styrene at 7.7 mg/kg body weight/day for 2 consecutive years had no toxic effects.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has surveyed and collected data on the possibility of residual substances such as styrene or ethylbenzene being able to leach into food for many years. The results showed that this amount of leach is extremely small and is unlikely to be harmful to health. During the years 1993 to 2002, the American Plastics Industry Association tested the styrene and ethylbenzene migration in PS and EPS packaged foods. Data submitted to the FDA showed that the migration of these substances into foods was 10,000 times lower than the acceptable daily intake level. A simulation study under different food temperature conditions conducted by the Consumer Commission in collaboration with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong in 2005 showed that PS and EPS food containers in factories and schools all met the standards. There was only one case of excessive migration when the food contained fat heated above 120oC, and when the food temperature was lowered, the migration level returned to below the allowable level.
“Based on more than five decades of scientific testing, government food safety agencies have determined polystyrene to be safe for use in food service,” the American Chemistry Council states. “Polystyrene meets the stringent standards of the U.S. FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (EC) for packaging used to preserve and serve food. Recent assessments by the Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of polystyrene food containers are consistent with the U.S. FDA’s conclusions.”
Although polystyrene containers are generally safe for food storage, there is a risk of excessive styrene release if quality ice cream containers are used improperly.
National and international food safety authorities have issued some guidelines for the safe use of foam containers in food service as follows:
6 tips for using food containers safely
- Service establishments and restaurants only use PS and EPS food containers that meet food safety and hygiene standards and have clear origins.
- Single use disposable food containers should only be used once and then discarded. Do not use used containers to store and preserve different types of food for long periods of time.
- Do not use foam boxes to store hot foods and drinks above 100 degrees Celsius, especially fried foods with lots of oil and grease that are still hot. Let the food cool down before putting it in the box.
- Do not heat food in styrofoam containers in the microwave. If the disposable food container is microwaveable, it should be used once.
- Sour and highly acidic foods and drinks such as pickles, vinegar salads, lemonade, and lemon tea should not be stored in Styrofoam containers, especially hot and sour drinks such as lemon tea. High acidity combined with high temperatures will increase the risk of styrene contamination.
- Production, trading and use of foam food containers must comply with other food safety and hygiene regulations and instructions as for packaging materials that come into contact with food in general.
Continue to inspect and handle violations of food safety and hygiene with food packaging
The Food Safety Department said it has directed the Departments of Health and regional institutes to guide the management and use of foam and plastic boxes for food storage; continue to strengthen rapid inspections, periodic monitoring and inspections, promptly detect and handle violations of quality, hygiene and safety of food packaging.
The announcement of warning information about food products and packaging that directly contact food is the responsibility of the parties involved in ensuring food hygiene and safety and protecting consumers. The Department of Food Safety and Hygiene will proactively announce widely on the mass media relevant information in the field that the Department manages so that consumers can grasp it, while demonstrating the responsibility and transparency of the relevant management agencies...
Mai Nhi-Food and Life Magazine (No. 14(46) April 2010)
