Plastic is everywhere, from deli containers and water bottles to clothes and food packaging. Through wear and tear, tiny plastic fragments—aka microplastics—can shed from these items and end up in places they really shouldn’t be. Microplastics have infiltrated our water, soil, and even our food.
With increasing concern over the health effects of microplastics, maybe you’ve made some easy swaps, like ditching your plastic water bottle for a glass or stainless steel one. But many of us probably have a cabinet of plastic food containers, either ones that we bought or accumulated via takeout. Are plastic containers really that bad for storing food?
To find out whether we should toss our plastic containers, we talked with two experts: Dr. Andrea De Vizcaya Ruiz, professor of environmental and occupational health at UC Irvine, and Bryan Quoc Le, food scientist and founder and principal food consultant at Mendocino Food Consulting.
What Are Microplastics And Are They Actually Bad For You?
Microplastics are tiny particles—less than 5 millimeters long—which makes them easy to ignore (we can’t see them, after all). But through wear and tear, they shed from larger plastic items—think olive oil bottles, utensils, and even tea bags.
“Microplastics are now found in virtually every environment—including our food, drinking water, and air,” Dr. De Vizcaya Ruiz says. “Due to their widespread presence in the environment and their identification in human tissues (lungs, blood, vascular atheromas, and placenta), there are growing concerns about their potential health effects through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact.”
She says that microplastic exposure via food storage containers is “emerging and understudied.” She cites a 2023 study that concluded microplastics are released from food plastic storage containers, and recommended replacing plastic containers with alternative materials like glass.
Is It That Bad To Store Food In Plastic Containers?
“The general consensus is that it is considered unhealthy to store food in plastic containers,” Quoc Le says. “Even the more durable ones intended for long-term use still shed microplastics, especially when hot food is put into them.”
When exposed to heat, wear, or acidic contents, Dr. De Vizcaya Ruiz says that plastic containers can release microplastics and chemical additives into food, which can be ingested. “Although occasional plastic use is common and generally considered low-risk, using plastic regularly…can increase microplastic exposure.”
What Foods Should Not Be Stored In Plastic Containers?
According to Dr. De Vizcaya Ruiz, some foods are more prone to microplastic contamination than others:
Acidic Foods
Unfortunately, many foods we might store for later are considered acidic—think tomato sauce or anything pickled or citrusy. De Vizcaya Ruiz says acidic foods “chemically react with plastics over time.”
Greasy & Oily Foods
These foods can “absorb plasticizers” from their containers, De Vizcaya Ruiz says. Fried or breaded foods always taste better fresh, anyway.
Hot Foods
If you’re meal prepping or storing leftovers, allow them to cool a bit before storing them in a plastic container, as heat can release microplastics. Better yet, transfer hot foods to heat-safe glass or metal containers for storage.
How To Reduce Microplastic Exposure From Food Storage Containers
If you still want to use plastic containers, there are some ways to minimize the shedding of microplastics. Le Quoc recommends only using them to store food that can be kept at room temperature, such as dry goods, or non-acidic, non-fried foods that you keep in the refrigerator.
De Vizcaya Ruiz says that repeated use, along with scratching and warping, can also increase the possibility of microplastic shedding.
Last but not least, avoid popping your leftovers in the microwave. “Microwaving food in plastic, even if the container is labeled ‘microwave-safe,’ accelerates plastic degradation,” De Vizcaya Ruiz says.
When storing food, especially acidic, greasy, or hot foods, she recommends using glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers.
