Food delivery apps are making it faster, much faster, for you to order your cravings online and get in to your doorstep in a few minutes – without you beating road traffic to reach your favorite restaurant or fast-food chain.
However, in terms of health safety, there’s still a lot of work to do.
The Times of India recently told the story of how black plastic containers used in food delivery may cause cancer. Yikes.
How popular are black plastic containers?
Black-colored plastic containers are very popular in food delivery and when you take food out from in-person restaurants. Black is a standard color that suggests formality.
The Center for Environmental Health weighed the odds on the popularity of black plastic containers and their safety.
“Black plastics are often used for ready-meals in the freezer section or to hold fruits and vegetables in the produce section of a supermarket They’re also readily used by restaurants to pack take-out orders,” they wrote. “Basically, black plastics are in realllllyyy high demand. However, unlike regular plastics, black plastics can’t be recycled. Lasers are traditionally used in recycling plants to separate different types of plastics, but because of [their] dark color, the lasers can’t identify black plastics from other forms of plastics.”
This type of plastic container is used because businesses are confident that it won’t be reused in any way. But does that make it safe? A recent viral Instagram video reported on The Times of India suggests otherwise.
They may cause cancer
India media cited health experts who warned about the potential risks associated with these plastic containers, which have toxic flame-retardant chemicals that may leach into your food, especially when you reheat them.
They buckled up saying there isn’t any definitive evidence linking black-colored plastic directly to cancer, but scientists have found cancer-causing chemicals.
Black-colored plastic, which is also used for food trays and utensils, comes from recycled materials, just like materials in electronics. Such contain chemicals like decaBDE that make them resistant to flames, which can seep into food, especially when exposed to heat.
“Black-colored plastic used in kitchen utensils, takeout containers, and children’s toys may contain potentially cancerous chemicals due to mistakes in recycling practices,” a study in the journal Chemosphere seconded.
Further arguments
Moreover, Dr. Ashish Upadhyay, an oncology consultant in Kolkata, also discussed the potential health implications of using black plastic food containers for delivery.
Aside from their environmental impact, these types of plastic won’t just cause cancer, but also endocrine disruption, developmental and neurological effects, and microplastic contamination.
But, it’s the cancer clause that’s most alarming.
“Black plastic containers contain carcinogenic chemicals like PAHs and BPA, which can leach into food and increase cancer risk, particularly breast cancer, with prolonged exposure,” the oncology consultant was cited as saying.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death, according to the World Health Organization.