Eating From Foam Food Containers Is Risky Business: Thailand

[hellodolly]

This has turned into a thread of sources.

[OzMick]

yep dont eat the two minute noodles in the styrofoam cups .the noodles are also coated in a wax to keep them from sticking together which has also been proven to be very bad for the digestive system. it builds up in the body as it is not easily metabolised. maybe we can still sue mcdonalds for all those years they used styrofoam cups for their coffee.

Ah Brad! Maccas is a US company, where they have warning labels so that people do not use hairdryers in the shower, and realise that cruise control does not mean autopilot, and coffee is hot.

If it was possible to sue Maccas for anything it would have happened years ago and multiple times over.

[OzMick]

Actually in light of this i have just had a really horrifying thought about this , what about all the plastic bags used to directly drink soft drinks from , like pepsi and coke , both of which are acidic and will as consequence release more of these compounds into the digestive system . also the inside of tin cans as i remeber is also a risk as it it lined with a coating containing phthalates. Scary stuff , but i stil drank 4 cans of chang tonight , Therein lies another risk , Formaldehyde or not in Chnag and many other beers, a rumour or not???

Stop worrying. The acidity of soft drinks (sodas) is very slight, and due to the formation of Carbonic acid when CO₂ is dissolved in water. A stronger acid would dissolve your teeth in much less time, but still not have much effect on the plastic bag. Hydrofluoric acid which is strong enough to eat through glass is stored in plastic bottles.

Formaldehyde in Chang (I heard Singha, which explains the hangover the one and only time I consumed it) is an urban myth. I have consumed vast quantities of Chang from cans and bottles (medicinal purposes only, its a great painkiller) with only temporary ill effect. I'm not even that well-preserved.

[wellred]

Some coffee machines at my work use styrofoam cups. I think I might say something. Incidentally there are a lot of gay people at my work too. Just saying.

[BradWilkins]

yep dont eat the two minute noodles in the styrofoam cups .the noodles are also coated in a wax to keep them from sticking together which has also been proven to be very bad for the digestive system. it builds up in the body as it is not easily metabolised. maybe we can still sue mcdonalds for all those years they used styrofoam cups for their coffee.

Ah Brad! Maccas is a US company, where they have warning labels so that people do not use hairdryers in the shower, and realise that cruise control does not mean autopilot, and coffee is hot.

If it was possible to sue Maccas for anything it would have happened years ago and multiple times over.

Maccas was successfully sued years ago by a woman in the usa who tipped hot coffee on herself and was burnt. They then changed from styrofoam cups to cardboard cups with a lid that clips on.

[BradWilkins]

yep dont eat the two minute noodles in the styrofoam cups .the noodles are also coated in a wax to keep them from sticking together which has also been proven to be very bad for the digestive system. it builds up in the body as it is not easily metabolised.

Bunk. http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/noodles.asp

this snopes is a crock of s*** they quote no scientific source in support and try to debunk everything they can. styrofoam is a petroleum byproduct if your happy useing it. things that are toxic that have long been thought to be ok are regularly found.

[attrayant]

Same as your post where you quoted no scientific resource. Are we supposed to take your word for it?

Oh, and wax candy has been commonly available since the 50s. Kids swallow it by the bagful.

http://www.candywarehouse.com/products/wax-bottles-candy-18lb-case/

Edited February 8, 2013 by attrayant

[BradWilkins]

Same as your post where you quoted no scientific resource. Are we supposed to take your word for it?

Same as your post where you quoted no scientific resource. Are we supposed to take your word for it?

I might take up smokeing that used to be seen as ok. Certain plastics release toxins when heated or microwaved. A friend who regularly ate microwaved frozen meals in plastic cntainers lost part of his bowel. His doctor told him not to microwave the meal in the plastic container because of the toxins which leach into the food. Not all plastics do this but the fact many are made from petroleum byproducts should be a concern when microwaved especially

[Soi Dog]

What a load of crap. Styrene has absolutely no resemblance to any hormones. And to say it might be dangerous because it comes from oil is like saying we should avoid any pharmaceuticals because they ultimately come from oil as well.

[rattler]

I'm all for dissuading people from using plastic bags and styrofoam.

However, not having done or cited a definitive study, it'd be great to know where the statistics come from.

"Evidence suggests" is flimsy.

I could say "evidence suggests that an extremely high tolerance for noise pollution and a traffic congestion causes one to crave rice"

Or worse still " a guy created the universe and everything everywhere"

[hansgruber]

No more kapow roadside for me.

[lovetotravel]

An interesting article here:

http://www.blackherb..._have_eaten.htm

And some of the environmental problems associated with manufacturing styrofoam:

http://www.earthreso...-styrofoam.html

Enough evidence to keep me away from it. I try to always use glass.

Don't know any take away restaurant that gives you your food in a glass.

Ha! Correct! But I don't micro anything in plastic or styro. And I don't drink out of styrofoam cups, nor use the cups noodles come in. Always switch to glass. And I don't eat much street food. Luckily, I guess???

[kevvy]

Aren't than banned in most countries?

only in St Kilda maybe Collingwood too....

[brianP]

Between the Styrofoam and the plastic byproducts and the destruction it does to the environment, we are in deep ca ca. Cancer and other invasive diseases of the body and mind increasing in massive proportions, A coincidence? Dream on Holmes!

[max2u]

yep dont eat the two minute noodles in the styrofoam cups .the noodles are also coated in a wax to keep them from sticking together which has also been proven to be very bad for the digestive system. it builds up in the body as it is not easily metabolised.

Bunk. http://www.snopes.co...ngs/noodles.asp

this snopes is a crock of s*** they quote no scientific source in support and try to debunk everything they can. styrofoam is a petroleum byproduct if your happy useing it. things that are toxic that have long been thought to be ok are regularly found.

oh, sorry you couldn't find a scientific source.

http://ntp.niehs.nih...e_Monograph.pdf

HTH!

[stoli]

Sytrofoam containers contain the chemical styrene, which has a molecular structure similar to estrogen hormone in females

What you trying to say doc? That eating from a styrofoam pack, can turn a give a man a dose of feminine hormone. What an accusation, if that were the case, Thailand would have a disproportionately large amount of men who want to be or act like women.

Can't possibly be the case.

I do get moody for 5 days a month.

[spidermike007]

Since plastic was only introduced to Thailand fairly recently, it is used with abandon, and considered the greatest thing since sliced bread. Zero consideration is given to the disposal aspect. I was driving around in Issan recently, in areas where there is no trash pickup, and the side of the roads are literally a plastic graveyard. Miles and miles of plastic everywhere. People just dump their crap wherever they want, treating the countryside like a garbage bin. Does anyone care? This whole Mai pen rai attitude can be used as a excuse for slothfulness, and laziness. I always refuse the styrofoam. I ask them to pack in plastic bags. I consider it less toxic for me, but primarily less toxic for Thailand. Where do those containers end up? How long do they take to degrade? When I refuse the containers people look at me like I am from Mars. Why would you not want the greatest thing since sliced bread? Nobody is creating ay awareness of the social hazards of plastic. Nobody. Another example of how Thailand is traveling backwards in time.

[spidermike007]

I also carrying reusable bags into supermarkets, and refuse all plastic bags. Many times the Thais respond whats a great idea that is. But, will they try it themselves? Some estimate this can save as many as 2,000 plastic bags annually. That is quite a sickening number, when you consider a percentage of these bags end up in the sea.

[BradWilkins]

yep dont eat the two minute noodles in the styrofoam cups .the noodles are also coated in a wax to keep them from sticking together which has also been proven to be very bad for the digestive system. it builds up in the body as it is not easily metabolised.

Bunk. http://www.snopes.co...ngs/noodles.asp

this snopes is a crock of s*** they quote no scientific source in support and try to debunk everything they can. styrofoam is a petroleum byproduct if your happy useing it. things that are toxic that have long been thought to be ok are regularly found.

oh, sorry you couldn't find a scientific source.

http://ntp.niehs.nih...e_Monograph.pdf

HTH!

Ok keep on keeping on. It only talks about human reproduction and development and no mention of microwaveing plastics. They used to think smokeing was ok. up to you

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

some of these chemicals have molecules which fit into estrogen receptors and trick the body.

"BPA is a weak synthetic estrogen found in many rigid plastic products, food and formula can linings, dental sealants, and on the shiny side of paper cashier receipts (to stabilize the ink). Its estrogen-like activity makes it a hormone disruptor, like many other chemicals in plastics. Hormone disruptors can affect how estrogen and other hormones act in the body, by blocking them or mimicking them, which throws off the body's hormonal balance."

http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/plastic

[ronthai]

I just could not resist, sure I am not the first:

symptoms of “brain fog” finally an answer to the daily questions we all have, why oh why oh why, did you do this (or didn't) ??

Beside that, they are bad for the enviroment also.

edit: I mean the foam containers, before somebody reads it wrong.

Edited February 8, 2013 by ronthai

[BradWilkins]

yep dont eat the two minute noodles in the styrofoam cups .the noodles are also coated in a wax to keep them from sticking together which has also been proven to be very bad for the digestive system. it builds up in the body as it is not easily metabolised.

Bunk. http://www.snopes.co...ngs/noodles.asp

this snopes is a crock of s*** they quote no scientific source in support and try to debunk everything they can. styrofoam is a petroleum byproduct if your happy useing it. things that are toxic that have long been thought to be ok are regularly found.

oh, sorry you couldn't find a scientific source.

http://ntp.niehs.nih...e_Monograph.pdf

HTH!

Effects

Chronic exposure to styrene, one of the main components in Styrofoam and polystyrene products, is thought to have adverse health effects such as irritation to the skin, eyes, upper respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, among other problems. Both the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classify it as a possible human carcinogen.

In Your Food

Many polystyrene products are food and beverage containers. When heated in a microwave, according to the Earth Resource Foundation, the toxic chemicals in the polystyrene products seep into the food or drink in the container. When ingested on a regular basis or in high quantities, these chemicals can have negative effects on the body and on overall health, such as the problems listed above.

In Your Home

When you heat a polystyrene food container in the microwave or by other means, you should consider not just the toxins you may ingest, but also the toxins you release into the air. According to the Nordic Council, an intergovernmental collaboration among Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden created to study and monitor environmental and workplace hazards, the fumes created when heat is applied to polystyrene can contain aerosols, free radicals and other potentially dangerous chemical compounds, such as carbon monoxide.

Read more: The Toxicity of Heated Styrofoam | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6862965_toxicity-heated-styrofoam.html#ixzz2KGu1vJ8W

[BradWilkins]

Ihere is a multitude of science supporting how bad styrofoam and some plastics are when heated. A lot of the science studies saying it is ok is probably paid for by the huge world plastic produceing industries who dont want to lose business. Its a smokescreen like the ones produced by the tobacco industry.

[Thai at Heart]

Wouldn't you think that if it was extrapolated that something in the food chain increased the potential for cancer by 6 times, or could cause hormone unbalance, the government would want it investigated immediately and probably banned instantly?

Not a peep. Business as usual.

[Time Traveller]

In the 89s when I was a scout leader we knew Styrofoam had negative properties but used them any how. How ever we tought the boys to never throw them in the fire as the smoke would harm them. Here we are 30 years later and Thailand is just discovering there is a poison in them.

That's only 30 years. Thailand is at least 50 years behind developed countries.

[lovetotravel]

Ihere is a multitude of science supporting how bad styrofoam and some plastics are when heated. A lot of the science studies saying it is ok is probably paid for by the huge world plastic produceing industries who dont want to lose business. Its a smokescreen like the ones produced by the tobacco industry.

You mean like this???

[lucjoker]

as long as bad things make money...........it will keep on going untill replaced by another probable worse thing ....that gives even more profit.

Discussing this with a donkey proved the best remedy.

[youngXpat]

Can you imagine Thailand without plastic bags??? This country has a long, dare I say it, addiction to foam containers and plastic bags. Even dangerous chemicals are discarded without thought and are generally treated with an unusual disrespect.

Here, as in many other less developed countries, we are all slowly poisoning ourselves whether it be from bad food containers or the government turning the other cheek to industry burning, dumping, polluting blah, blah ..... it goes on and on .....

You want a take out? Take a reseal-able plastic box! Don't forget to wear your gas mask and NBC suit en route to the restaurant too!!! LOL

[Thai at Heart]

Hazard Summary-Created in April 1992; Revised in January 2000

• 
  

Styrene is primarily used in the production of polystyrene plastics and resins. Acute (short-term) exposure to styrene in humans results in mucous membrane and eye irritation, and gastrointestinal effects. Chronic (long-term) exposure to styrene in humans results in effects on the central nervous system (CNS), such as headache, fatigue, weakness, and depression, CSN dysfunction, hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy. Human studies are inconclusive on the reproductive and developmental effects of styrene; several studies did not report an increase in developmental effects in women who worked in the plastics industry, while an increased frequency of spontaneous abortions and decreased frequency of births were reported in another study. Several epidemiologic studies suggest there may be an association between styrene exposure and an increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma. However, the evidence is inconclusive due to confounding factors. EPA has not given a formal carcinogen classification to styrene.

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/styrene.html

So question is, if my local Kao Mhan Ghai, or Pad Thai seller wraps the food up in a piece of paper with a rubber band, (we will worry about the ecological aspects later), why does my local Kao Pad man put it in a styrofoam box. It is a crappy material, takes forever to break down, can float for ever on the surface of a waterway, and is virtually useless to be used a second time unlike a plastic bag at least. I will ask next time to not put it in a styrofoam box and see the reaction.

[kennalder]

Yes, Ma Ma noodles as such takes 3-4 times to digest as natural, homemade noodles.(This is due to the preservatives, and all the other chemicals put into the noodles ...and that doesn't include the high salt content) When I see Thais eat this all the time, I just cringe; for, they would be better off to buy something off a vendor. (yes, I am also jerking my health around by eating processed foods with transfats-another "evil doer" in the food industry.)

I think maybe you put the quotes in the wrong place. try this....transfats-another evil doer in the "food" industry.

This article is rather timely as there was another thread recently about pickling in plastic.There was the usual chorus from the sheeple defending the use of plastics because the plastic industry labeled these bags as "food grade". The same industry that cites a few of their own studies showing BPA's to be harmless, while ignoring hundreds if not thousands of peer reviewed scientific research papers showing the opposite.

Put it this way, if I use glass instead of plastics whenever possible and I'm wrong about the dangers, no harm done.

If you use plastics and you are wrong, no harm done - to me.

(The you here is not referring to the poster to which I am replying.)