Plastics play an important role in our food supply and ensure we have food security in areas such as developing nations and rural/remote part of countries, that would otherwise have access issues. However, our knowledge around their use in regard to health impacts, are not well known. 98% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, carbon-based polymers.
We keep hearing around the fact that plastics can breakdown into microplastics, nano-plastics and chemical additives, such as bisphenols (e.g. BPA) and phthalates. There is also research from the University of Newcastle that suggests that humans could be eating an average of 5g of plastic a week, which is equivalent to a credit card.
Common Sense vs Convenience
We all have our own ideas on common sense, but with the evidence around the lack of regulation in our food marketing and nutrition for babies, you have to question what else is lacking regulation?
We have never been a fan of plastics in babies' food or eating accessories like teething toys, spoons, bowls, straws and plates. Particularly the silicone, which dominates baby products.
This is just from our experience and lacking in studies or research into this space. The plastics industry is simply moving faster than research, for long term implications.
But this is one of the reasons we designed our Neat Eats Baby Bib, as we had seen how the Silicone Bucket Bibs stained and changed shape, which was a concern to us when our child's food was hitting this and then being eaten. The smell of the Silicone after washing was terrible and you could feel its stickiness as the plastic leached.
Some hints around plastics that do not sit well with me in relation to cooking, food storage and eating include:
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How they change shape or melt on heating
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How they retain flavour's, smell and stains
If food can stain them, what are they doing to the food? If heat can change their shape (bowl/straw/cup) what is happening when you put your babe's warm food into it or run it through the dishwasher?
I would love to be reassured there is no leaching into foods, but naivety is not a strength of ours when it comes to food, ingestion and risk. Erring on the side of caution until proven otherwise has served us well and we do have choices here.
We are wary of silicone in our adult bodies and have evidence of its harms, but we are ok with our tiny babies and children chewing on it for teething or in straws or on food pouch spouts? This just does not add up.
Endocrine Disruption
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) have been under international watch for decades, with many international bodies recognising we need more regulation around the use of the chemicals, particularly as they relate to human ingestion through food, skin, air and water.
What do they do? They have been linked to an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, infertility and some cancers.
Evidence is mounting for the impact of plastics in our food supply specifically, but it will be a difficult shift. Plastics offer convenience and storage options on mass that would be difficult to switch out.
Pouches, as one example, which make up 50% of commercial infant and toddler food products, were not intended to be sucked on by a child. They were intended to be put onto a spoon. But now we have children sucking and chewing on these plastic spouts from plastic pouches.
Because of the mixed plastics in these pouches, they are also not recyclable. So, there is an environmental impact in their regular use also.
What can You do in the Short Term?
We need to be more aware ofcourse, that plastics may be leaching into your foods and drinks. Hopefully over time research and legislation will catch up, along with it being more affordable to move away from plastics.
For now, need to be moving more rapidly away from single use plastics as a bare minimum and consider our buying preferences to minimise our exposure to and ingestion of plastics.
Some more switches that you can consider at home are below. Do what you can, if you wish!
- Switch to wooden chopping boards: Replace plastic cutting boards with wooden ones but have one just for meats.
- Use stainless steel cookware: Non-stick cookware can contain plastic chemicals, and heating plastic can help the plastic transfer into food. Stainless steel cookware is a plastic free and durable alternative.
- Microwave in glass or ceramic: Use glass or ceramic containers instead of soft plastic when reheating food (e.g. pre-cooked rice in sachets) or hard plastic (e.g. Tupperware containers). At home we put a ceramic plate over our plate or bowl when reheating in the microwave.
- Store food in plastic-free containers: Use glass or stainless steel for storing leftovers, pulses or cereals. We reuse all our old giant olive and sundried tomato jars for rice, flour, oats, legumes and nut storage.
- Swap your water bottle: It’s great for the environment to have a reusable water bottle, but next time you replace yours, try choosing one made of steel or glass instead of hard plastic.
- Try to reduce the use of plastics in your child's mouth: easier said than done, but your child chewing or sucking directly from plastic is direct exposure and increasing their chances of ingestion.
You can read more on the research and participate in some through this article by the team at No Money No Time at the University of Newcastle.