Polystyrene Food Containers

[Bazile]

Just eaten some food from a polystyrene container - you know the yellow colour type take away ones .

Just noticed that part of the container is sort of deformed , as if it had started to 'melt'

Is it likely that the food would have been contaminated by the container ?

If yes is it dangerous to your health ?

[douglas9401]

My favourite pizza seller used to use polystyrene trays which added a certain something to their food by the time you got it home.
I ate them for years and, I've just checked, I'm still alive. :-)

[maggiebee]

How do you dispose of polystyrene containers?

[Buenchico]

Styrene can leach from expanded polystyrene food containers into the food and is listed as “reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen" by US health authorities. However the levels are so low that there's considerable doubt about whether there's any real health risk to people who simply use the containers (rather than to, say, those who work in the factories producing them). There are carcinogens in lots of things, such as crispy bacon, at far higher levels. One food container isn't going to kill you.

Expanded polystyrene containers are banned from use in some parts of the world (such as in New York) but that's because they can't be recycled, rather than through any worries over health risks.

[Jackdaw33]

Must admit I preferred my fish and chips in newspaper rather than polystyrene cartons but what the hell? It ain't gonna kill ya.

[SonOfDonkeyKong]

While I was at uni I ate many a meal from polystyrene containers that looked slightly melted. I have not noticed any health issues, so you should be fine.

[Jahulaye]

“Must admit I preferred my fish and chips in newspaper rather than polystyrene cartons ”

You remove food from containers and use newspapers as plates?

Is this a joke?

[Old_Geezer]

If your food melts plastic what is it doing to your insides ?

[Mamyalynne]

I used to love that smell of slightly singed newsprint as you kept your supper warm in the oven while you brewed up and buttered the bread.

[tonyav]

Oh yes, Mamya.
almost on par with the smell of Swarfega.

[Buenchico]

Jahulaye:
Try taking more note of the tenses in JD33's post.

He, like me, is old enough to remember when chippies displayed signs asking for people to bring in their old newspapers, as that was the only thing that fish and chips were ever wrapped in.

JD33 is simply saying that he preferred his fish & chips in the 'good old days', rather than in the way that they're served nowadays.

[Mamyalynne]

Nearly...

[pastafreak]

Jahulaye is showing her age...

[theprof]

It was perfectly safe Bazile. No harmful contamination of your food will have occurred and you'll suffer no ill effects either in the short or long term.

[Jahulaye]

I beg to differ...

“Styrofoam is hazardous to human health. It contains the neurotoxins styrene and benzene, which are widely accepted to be carcinogens. These toxins can leach into food that’s acidic, warm, alcoholic or oily and into the environment after exposure to rain and other weather. This means that it’s critical that you don’t microwave food in styrofoam or put hot food into styrofoam containers. Out of an abundance of caution, you shouldn’t eat from styrofoam at all.”


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/thisgreenearth.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/toxic-take-out-styrofoam-boxes-food-cancer/amp/


“The National Research Council has affirmed that styrene, often used in food packaging and foam coffee cups, is linked to cancer. What’s the industry’s reaction?”

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/aug/27/styrene-carcinogen-brands-polystyrene-foam-food-packaging

[Bazile]

Thanks
It melting into the food and being harmful was a bit worrying

[Jahulaye]

Yes it is harmful and doesn’t cause problems straight away but can later cause gene mutations, lower testosterone, raise estrangement and cause chemical imbalances and cancers which we’d not link to chemicals and blame old, alcohol/nicotine/ drug/ bad diet/ bad lifestyle for.

It’s nothing to “run to the hills”in panic for but worth keeping an eye on.

[Jahulaye]

“raise estrangement?”

Raise ESTROGEN even

[andres]

Warm ,balmy, summer's evening walking along with 3d chips and a piece of battered cod in a newspaper .No-one seemed to get 'bugs' or upset stomachs back then.

[bhg481]

andres - 3d chips. You must be even older than me because 6d chips is the earliest I can remember.

[Bazile]

For the avoidance of doubt , my thanks was to everyone who answered , even if not in respect to the actual question

Nice to see you prof - don't see you here often these days