That's a wrap!

Vegetarian Times, Feb, 2004

Plastic wrap manufacturers, including those who make Glad and Saran, are taking steps to ensure that their plastics are safe before many consumers are even aware of the dangers. That's because the dangers of phthalates, which many plastics contain for pliability, are increasingly well known within the plastics industry--and more and more worrisome.

Some phthalates can leak chemicals into foods wrapped, stored or microwaved in them, leading to health problems. "There is concern because some plasticizers can mimic the effects of estrogen, a hormone known to affect breast cancer risk," says Suzanne Snedeker, associate director of Cornell University's Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors Program. Bisphenol A, used in baby bottles, microwave containers and other nonpliable plastics, may have a similar effect, leading to cancer and reproductive diffficulties. Although the US Food and Drug Administration does not require warning labels on plastic containers or prohibit the use of phthalates, some companies, including Glad and Saran, are using harmless alternatives. Of course, you can also use glass or ceramic Pyrex-type bowls for microwaving, Ted Schettler of the Science and Environmental Health Network told Melissa Knopper in the November 2003 issue of E/The Environmental Magazine.