What are polymer materials for tableware? Polymer materials for making tableware. Are there court decisions where courts take into account what the utensils are made of?

In this article:

From the right choice materials depends not only on the cost of production, but whether it will even reach the buyer, because the sanitation station strictly evaluates not only compliance with standards technological process, and the quality of the raw material base.

What are plastic utensils made from?

There are two options:

1. Granulate– translucent plastic polystyrene or polypropylene granules, 3-4 mm in diameter.

Manufacturers and sellers:

• Kuskovsky chemical plant,
• Guryev Chemical Plant,
• Tomskneftekhim LLC,
• JSC "Khimpek"
• JSC PETROPLAST,
• LLC "Polymeria"
• LLC "Polymercapital"
• LLC "Boom Polymers"
• LLC "Aglomer"
• LLC "Maksiprom"
• LLC "Contact PKF"
• Panplast LLC,
• Interplast Group LLC
• and etc.

2. Polymer tapes made of polystyrene or polypropylene, packaged in ready-to-use rolls.

You can buy polymer tapes from domestic enterprises:

• Moscow Refinery,
• JSC "Belplast"
• Vladimir Film Materials Plant,
• CJSC "Stirolplast"
• JSC "Georg Polymer"
• CJSC "Alcor"
• LLC "Package of Proposals"
• LLC NPP "Simplex",
• LLC "Folimpex"
• Lion Group LLC
• and etc.

Certification according to GOST

Plastic tableware is certified as a product in contact with food, therefore only virgin plastic is suitable as a raw material base for its production. That is, the option of raw materials made from recycled “plastic waste” - used bottles, packaging, cups cannot be considered even as a temporary alternative.

It is allowed to use only polymer waste (film scraps) own production, crushed on a special apparatus - a crusher.

Film for the production of plastic tableware must be certified in accordance with GOSTs 12998-85, 26996-86, 10354-82; granules - comply with GOST 26996-86.

The mystery of signs: marking disposable tableware

For sorting polymer products, an international marking was developed - a triangle of arrows with a number inside. Next to the number (or under the triangle) the letter code of the plastic used in the manufacture of the product must be indicated.

To receive a quality certificate, the finished product must comply with the standards of sanitary and epidemiological rules GN 2.3.4.972-00 “Maximum permissible quantities of chemical substances released from materials in contact with food products».

Myths and reality of the harm of plastic tableware

Of course, it is difficult to call products made by the chemical industry useful. But are there so many completely natural and environmentally friendly products in our everyday life? The real danger of plastic is its misuse.

Safety regulations:

• You cannot store food in plastic packaging for a long time.
• You should carefully study the labeling: polystyrene products are not intended for hot drinks and use in the microwave.
• For children's dishes best option– transparent base and application of colorful pictures on the outside.
• The brighter the color, the more dye (melanin) in the material, which can cause allergic reactions. Therefore, white or transparent dishes are suitable for everyday use.

And the most popular mistake of our compatriots is reusing plastic products in order to save money. Such dishes are not intended for washing: layers of plastic can decompose under the influence of cleaning agents, oxidize and form carcinogenic substances.

Theoretical lesson No. 17.

Question 8. Investment process in Russia and its structural features

A study of the investment behavior of the main subjects of the Russian economy allows us to draw the following conclusions.

One of the trends in recent years is the continuation of intensive growth of investments in fixed capital (Fig. 14.14).

However, the high intensity of the investment process masks a sharp increase in sectoral differentiation of investments.

Structural features of the investment process are manifested in the following:

1. Investment breakthrough in the communications industry;

2. Accelerating the modernization of production in the primary industries;

3. Maintaining high dynamics of investment in the housing sector;

4. Stopping the growth of investment in manufacturing industries;

5. Reducing the role of company borrowings on foreign markets and replacing them own funds and bank loans.

Rice. 14.14. Investments in fixed capital

(billion rubles, in comparable 2003 prices)

Source: materials of the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting.

Despite certain positive changes in the investment process, it is necessary to note a number of other catalysts for economic growth. Thus, Russia's GDP in the period 1999-2005. increased by an average of 6.7% annually, relying on high oil prices, a “weak” ruble, growth in production and the service sector. Stable economic growth in last years became possible primarily thanks to high prices for oil in combination with structural reforms carried out by the Russian Government in 2000-2001.

GDP growth caused increased confidence among business circles and ordinary consumers in a more favorable economic future for Russia, as a result of which the influx of foreign investment into the economy and the outflow of capital from the country has practically stopped.

Materials approved by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus for contact with food are used.

Food utensils, equipment coverings, containers are made from various materials: glass, metals, wood, paper, cardboard, clay, mineral raw materials, various polymer materials.

Hygienic requirements for materials:

Should not contain harmful substances that pass into food;

Should not have a negative impact on the biological value of the product, nor impair the organoleptic properties of products or finished food;

Must protect food products from contamination from environment;

Must have a smooth, polished, non-porous inner surface.

Characteristics of basic materials:

Metal utensils. Metals are widely used for the manufacture of kitchen and tableware, pipelines in enterprises Food Industry, cutlery, containers for transporting liquid products, washing tubs, etc.

Stainless steel of some food brands has high anti-corrosion properties and resistance to aggressive food environments. Stainless steel products are highly durable and durable in use.

Aluminum cookware. Aluminum, duralumin and their alloys are used as materials for making cookware. Aluminum and its compounds have poor solubility in liquid aggressive food media. Aluminum cookware, especially those made from alloys, are susceptible to table salt, some organic acids contained in vegetables, fruits, and berries. In this case, the protective film of aluminum oxides, which protects the dishes from corrosion, dissolves in the liquid contents. In this regard, it is not recommended to ferment cabbage, pickle cucumbers, cook sour cabbage soup, etc. in aluminum cookware. To increase the anti-corrosion properties of aluminum cookware, use modern methods processing - the inner surface is ground, polished, varnished, made matte silver, etc. Foil is made from aluminum alloys, which is widely used in the confectionery industry; varnished foil is used for packaging cheeses. Aluminum alloys contain impurities of certain metals that can have a harmful effect on the human body, therefore the impurities used are strictly standardized (zinc, lead, arsenic, copper, iron).

Utensils made of iron and cast iron. Iron is a common material for the manufacture of digesters, containers, equipment, buckets, frying pans, baking sheets, and enamelware. Iron is not stable and is easily susceptible to oxidation and the formation of compounds that dissolve in liquid food, causing changes in its color (darkening) and taste (metallic taste). Therefore, iron products must have protective coatings. Only baking sheets and frying pans are used without coatings, on which food is cooked in the presence of fat (fat, by covering the surface of the iron, prevents the oxidizing effect of oxygen). For iron utensils, coatings made of enamel, tin (tinning), and zinc (galvanized utensils) are used.

Enameled dishes. It is an iron utensil, the outer and inner sides of which are covered with enamel - an alloy (like glass) of feldspar, soda, borax, sand, tin oxide. Strict requirements are imposed on the preparation of enamels, especially those intended for interior coatings, since if the recipe is violated, compounds that cause food poisoning (lead, antimony, etc.) can be used as components. Enameled cookware is not often used in enterprises Catering and trade, since it has weak impact resistance and heat resistance - with a sharp change in temperature and impact, cracks and chips form, exposing the iron. It is prohibited to use dishes with chips for cooking and storing food.

Ceramic tableware. TO ceramic dishes includes clay, glazed (pottery), earthenware, and porcelain dishes.

Glazed earthenware. No pottery found at this time wide application. To make them, clay baked in a kiln is used. Glaze is applied to the inside and outside of the dishes - an alloy of oxides of silicon, potassium, sodium and other metals, as well as lead oxide (lightweight). For coating pottery, a special grade of fritted glaze with a lead content of about 12% should be used. The fritted glaze is highly durable and does not contain easily soluble lead compounds. On industrial enterprises, producing enameled and pottery ware, local authorities The sanitary and epidemiological service must carry out strict control over the quality of enamels and glazes.

Earthenware and porcelain dishes. It consists of clay products, slightly different from each other in chemical composition and manufacturing technologies. The outside and inside of the product are covered with glaze. The glaze of earthenware products, which contains lead (to add shine), is not particularly durable. When using the product, a network of small cracks appears and chips easily form. The use of such utensils is not permitted.

Glassware. Glass is used to make glasses, wine glasses, jars, bottles and other products for contact with food. Glass must be highly resistant to acids contained in products. There are special brands of heat-resistant glass that are used to make pots and pans used in everyday life. Impact-resistant and acid-resistant glass is used for the manufacture of pipelines in dairies, wineries and other food industrial enterprises.

If the manufacturing technology is violated, air bubbles may appear in the thickness of the glass, which reduces the strength of the glass and increases the possibility of it getting into food products. If there are many bubbles, the dishes are rejected. If chips appear along the top edge, glass products must be rejected. Glassware made from glass with foreign inclusions is not allowed to be used, as they reduce the durability of the products.

Wooden utensils, containers, equipment. Wood is widely used for the manufacture of cutting boards, small equipment (stirrers, rolling pins), barrels, kegs, blocks for cutting meat and fish, etc. Wood does not have a harmful effect on the quality of products, does not change their organoleptic and physico-chemical properties, does not corrode and does not release harmful substances into the food mass. However, wood is porous, absorbs liquid substances, and can be subject to bacterial attack (mucus-forming bacteria, mold, etc.). In order to reduce or eliminate the ability to absorb liquid substances, wood products are impregnated or coated from the inside with varnishes or resins approved for contact with food. For the same purpose, the inside of wood products is lined with liner bags made of synthetic materials.

Wooden containers are used for storing pickled and salted vegetables and mushrooms, salted fish and corned beef, tomato paste and other products.

Paper containers and packaging. Paper sheets are used as packaging material for solid food products. Disposable paper tableware (waxed ice cream and sour cream cups, plates, etc.) is made from paper pulp impregnated with approved grades of paraffin. High-grade paper (parchment and sub-parchment) is used for packaging fat-containing products - butter, cheese, herring, waffles, etc. This paper does not absorb moisture and fat and prevents products from drying out. Paper is increasingly used in combination with synthetic materials.

To apply inscriptions and drawings on paper, paint approved for use by the State Sanitary Inspection authorities is used. Paints should not leave an imprint on the surface of the product (curd cheese) or give it an extraneous odor. The use of such paints should not be allowed. The use of paints containing soluble toxic substances is also not permitted.

For packaging confectionery cardboard and corrugated cardboard are used. Cardboard and corrugated cardboard are used for packaging wrapped products. To package confectionery products without wrappers, the inside of cardboard boxes must be glued or lined with parchment or sub-parchment. Currently, a combination of cardboard and synthetic materials is used.

Laboratory plastic glassware has an anti-adhesive and hydrophobic surface. It is also extremely chemically resistant to both very concentrated or diluted alkalis and acids, as well as aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes, and aliphatic hydrocarbons.

Laboratory glassware made of polypropylene guarantees consistently high resistance to the bulk of halogenated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and in addition to esters and ethers, ketones, including in case of interaction with them for 1 month. The operating temperature ranges from -10 to +135 degrees Celsius. Can be sterilized with steam (for 20 minutes at °t “+121” degrees Celsius), gas (ethylene oxide) and ethanol or formaldehyde. Thanks to laboratory glassware made of plastic, you can perform hot filtration without preheating the filter funnels.

Using containers (for urine, containers general purpose, containers, sterile and non-sterile) made of plastic, medical institutions were able to increase laboratory productivity and were able to ensure greater safety for both medical staff and patients. Cassettes, rings, forms (histological, biopsy) produced for manual marking, subsequent filling and transportation of test tissues and preparations have also greatly simplified the life of medical laboratories.

An important device that is used in microbiology and biotechnology for the purpose of dispensing liquids during serological and bacteriological experiments is the Pasteur pipette. Disposable transfer pipettes (Pasteur), convenient and safe to use, used for transportation and storage of biological materials, are in great demand.

Plastic pipettes are used to solve many problems in the field of medicine or chemistry. And serological plastic pipettes are just one of the many plastic creations that are difficult to do without these days. By the way, the most popular are plastic serological pipettes Jet Biofil.

Piston pipettes (devices for working with pipettes), designed for convenient and, most importantly, safe filling of pipettes of all types and other manipulations with them, are also made of plastic. The design of the device resembles a syringe; the pipette attached to it is filled due to the vacuum in the working cylinder when the piston rises.

Disposable Petri dishes (sterile) are gradually replacing their glass predecessors from microbiological laboratories. A spoon spatula, wide or narrow, is much more convenient if it is made of plastic. The same can be said about serological tablets, for example, for determining blood group, or about cups for analyzers and universal dispenser tips.

A variety of plastic containers deserve a separate discussion. They are lightweight, easy to use and do not break. For example, washers are bottles with a tightly screwed cap made of soft polyethylene, into which a special cannula is mounted, with which you can obtain a thin and sharp stream of liquid. Washing agents are used for washing electrodes and other parts of analyzers, as well as for washing blood cells (erythrocytes, leukocytes), pouring dyes onto glasses when staining smears, and for other purposes. The plugs are closed hermetically.

Reagent jars made of plastic are based on polypropylene. A material that guarantees excellent performance when interacting with chemical mixtures and reagents. Moreover, the base is also resistant to high temperatures. The structure of this material is strong and quite wear-resistant. Subject to all operating conditions, the containers will last for a very long period of time.

Wolf bottles are cylinders and, like jars, are used to store a variety of liquid reagents. At the bottom of the Wulff bottle is equipped with a tap, which simplifies the transfer of the usually aggressive liquid in the vessel into another laboratory glassware. The safest, unbreakable models are made of plastic.

Graduated bottles with a wide or narrow neck, made of plastic, are ideal for transporting a variety of toxic samples. They can be protected from unauthorized opening by using special loops on the rim or a protective ring.

This section also includes numerous laboratory beakers, for example, PP beakers with divisions, polypropylene beakers, polypropylene measuring cylinders with a spout and other measuring cylinders, as well as flasks and test tubes. On our website you can purchase dispenser baths and polyethylene funnels.

Laboratory glassware made of plastic has all the necessary certificates of conformity, as well as sanitary and epidemiological conclusions.

Disposable tableware is very convenient!

Today, many have come to this conclusion, primarily because of the properties that it possesses. Disposable tableware (paper and plastic tableware) does not break, is lightweight, does not require much space for storage, and is cheaper than glass.

Due to the fact that plastic tableware does not break and is easy to clean, it is sometimes used as reusable tableware, but few people have thought about the harm that comes from disposable tableware.

Authoritative researchers have concluded that reusable use of disposable tableware can lead to the appearance of malignant tumors, general fatigue and headaches. Allergies, attacks of bronchial asthma, even mutagenic changes in the body may appear.

Consumer properties

The consumer properties of disposable tableware are those characteristics of disposable tableware that the consumer most often pays attention to when choosing tableware and which are the most important for its use.

• Safety of disposable food and drink utensils (i.e. it is important that they meet hygienic and health requirements).
• Aesthetic component: disposable tableware must have an attractive appearance: a variety of colors, the possible presence of patterns, the absence of various kinds of deformations and the presence of foreign materials, etc.
• Heat resistance characteristics (preservation of temperature and durability of properties in contact with hot drinks and food).
• Possibility of use for both cold and hot dishes and drinks.
• The ability to use disposable tableware both for storing food in the refrigerator and for heating or cooking food in a microwave oven, etc.
• The presence of such properties as frost resistance (for certain categories of disposable tableware).
• Resistant to chemicals such as alkalis, acids and fats.
• The presence of such a property as thermostaticity (the ability to hold dishes with hot food or drink in your hands without burning your hands).

• Strength, resistance to deformation.
• Elasticity.
• For items such as knives and forks, their primary properties are to cut and pierce without deforming these cutlery.
• Sustainability.
• Availability of various shapes and sizes.
• Disposable tableware should have sufficient capacity, and at the same time be compact and light in weight.
• Environmentally friendly and easy to recycle.

You can't eat from plates like this twice.

Experts say: plates, forks, spoons and cups made of polymer materials cannot be used more than once.

This even applies to plastic water bottles. It is strictly forbidden to pour milk or alcoholic drinks into it - the result will be a poisonous mixture.

The main rule when choosing disposable tableware is to carefully read the labeling. Every branded product should have a sign showing what the packaging is made of. If there is no labeling, then it is better to protect your health and purchase the product in glass containers.

The PVC (PVC-polyvinyl chloride) symbol or the number 3 in a triangle on the bottom of the bottle or plastic packaging warns the buyer that it is toxic.

In addition to harmless glass containers, there is harmless food plastic, which is marked with the letters:

• RE (PE)- polyethylene,
• PETF (PET) or PET (PET)- polyethylene terephthalate,
• RR (PP)- polypropylene.
• PS (PS)- means polystyrene (its code is number 6).
• In addition, safety is confirmed image of a plate and fork, numbers 05 and 1.

Markings on disposable tableware - what does it mean?
Not all buyers know what the marking means and how such utensils can be used.

Dangerous plastic

We often underestimate the danger it can pose to our health. It turns out that there are relatively safe and dangerous plastics. Since we still have no way out, we should take care of choosing the lesser evil. Some types of plastic are truly dangerous.

Information about the material used in the manufacture of the packaging is located on its bottom in the form of a graphic symbol consisting of three arrows forming a triangle. In the middle of the triangle are numbers from 1 to 7, indicating the type of material from which the packaging is made.

What are these numbers?

1 - PET

This plastic is mainly used in the production of disposable drink containers. Typical PET packaging is mineral water bottles. Such packaging, even after thorough cleaning, may release toxic substances. chemical substances when reused. Never reuse this type of material.

2 - HDPE (LDPE)

Low pressure polyethylene (high density) is used for the production of semi-rigid containers; it is one of the safest plastics and can be reused.

3 - PCV (PVC)

Polyvinyl chloride is very often used, for example, in the production of food packaging film. PVC is hazardous to health and can release toxins. When PVC burns, it produces highly hazardous chemicals known as dioxins, which are often more dangerous than potassium cyanide.

4 - LDPE (HDPE)

Polyethylene high pressure(low density) used to produce many types of packaging (e.g. plastic bags), considered acceptable for reuse and safer than many other plastics, but not as safe as plastics 2 and 5.

5 - PP (PP)

Reusable polypropylene is often found as a material for food containers. It belongs to the group of the safest plastics along with material 2 (HDPE).

6 - PS (PS)

Polystyrene is well known in the form of polystyrene foam. PS releases toxins and should not be used as food packaging. It is also rarely used for this purpose due to the lower chemical resistance of polyethylene, but is present, for example, in lids for disposable coffee cups.

7 - OTHER

Never reuse plastic products marked with the number 7. This group includes many types of harmful chemicals, including the highly toxic bisphenol A (BPA), which can contribute to schizophrenia, depression or Alzheimer's disease. In addition, consuming foods that come into contact with BPA can lead to disorders of the nervous and endocrine systems, and even cancer. Never use such products in microwave ovens, which allow bisphenol A to penetrate deeper into food.

Most often it is found in:

To avoid poisoning from packaged food, you should take into account simple nuances.

First of all, remember that disposable tableware is disposable

Nowadays, plastic is an integral part of our lives, and you won’t be able to get rid of it quickly in the kitchen. But we can try to minimize the harmful effects of plastic on our health. For this:

1. Use only plastics marked 2 (HDPE) and 5 (PP) to store food.

2. Do not use plastic of other categories for storing food, but recycle it. Do not reuse PET bottles or microwave food in the food trays you bought it in (unless the packaging states that they are suitable for this purpose).

2. Do not microwave food in packages containing BPA (Group 7), do not pour hot liquids into them, or put them in the dishwasher.

3. Use all plastic packaging in accordance with the instructions on it (recommendations for temperature, use of a dishwasher, etc.).

4. Don't buy mineral water in plastic containers that have been standing in the sun, and it is best to buy drinks (including milk, kefir, yogurt) in glass containers.

Disposable packaging and utensils are designed to be used once. There is no point in leaving them in reserve for storing other products.
After use, the thin protective layer on the plastic is destroyed and this cookware cannot be reused.

Always pay attention to the appearance of the packaging, its integrity, legibility of the inscription, and expiration date.

Principle 1. Disposable tableware can be used strictly for its intended purpose.
On each type of disposable tableware there is an indication of what it is intended for: cold, hot, cold drinks, alcohol, etc. If you pour a hot drink into a glass intended for cold drinks, the plastic begins to release toxic substances.

Principle 2. Never leave the product in an open jar, even in the refrigerator. Either buy a smaller package or seal tightly.

Principle 3. You cannot store any food in disposable containers, especially used ones.
After using disposable tableware, the protective layer is destroyed, and when products, such as sugar, are stored in it, toxic substances pass into the product.

Principle 4. It is better not to take meat and cheese in packaging

Principle 5. Plastic dishes are not intended for ethanol-containing substances - alcohol.
Ethanol is an aggressive solvent. The toxic substances in the plastic begin to dissolve and end up in the drink.

Principle 6. The best option for disposable tableware is paper.

Principle 7. Plastic tableware often contains melamine, which is especially abundant in bright multi-colored dishes, intended for children. In its normal state it is not dangerous, but if you put something hot on a plate, medanin begins to release toxins, which enter the human body with food.
Paper is cellulose. Even if its particles enter the body, nothing bad will happen.

Plastic bottles impair potency

While disposable cups are usually thrown away, convenient plastic bottles often remain in use.

In them under no circumstances you can't pour milk, since the fats in it are able to dissolve some polymers, alcoholic drinks, kvass, compote. Polymers tend to “age” under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and high temperatures, so over time they begin to release substances harmful to humans.

Scientists from the Department of Epidemiology at HSPH and Harvard Medical School have concluded that plastic bottles are not as harmless to health as is commonly believed.

Constant consumption of drinks from plastic bottles increases the level of the chemical bisphenol A in the body, which affects sex hormones, by more than two-thirds, says Associate Professor Karin H. Michels.

This substance, which itself resembles the female hormone estrogen, is used in the production of packaging and jars for food and drinks, as well as baby bottles. The study found that the levels of bisphenol A in the urine of subjects who drank all drinks from plastic bottles for a week increased by 69.

Heating plastic bottles, as parents do when they want to warm milk for their children, allows the chemical to leach into the liquid contents in dangerous quantities. "This is concerning because children may be particularly susceptible to BPA, which can cause hormone disruption," Michels said. Previous studies have shown that high level Consumption of bisphenol A leads to birth defects, growth problems and an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, the article notes.

Lately everything large quantity items used in everyday life are made from polymer and similar materials. This includes most kitchen utensils, all kinds of containers, utensils, and disposable food packaging.

Every year the volume and range of materials and products made from them intended for contact with food products increases and expands. Of course, the quality of these materials affects the safety of the product. A lot of things have a significant impact on the safety of trays and plates that come into contact with what we eat: material production technology, basic raw materials and its components, conditions of use of the finished product, storage terms and conditions, etc.

The faster growth rates of consumption of polymer materials compared to many others are due to the unique set of properties of synthetic and natural polymers and products made from them.

Most often, plastic tableware is made from the following materials:

• polystyrene (PS marking, suitable for use up to a temperature of 70°C), disposable tableware made of polystyrene is more fragile and is intended mainly for cold food and drinks;
• polypropylene (PP marking with the possibility of use up to a temperature of 110°C), such dishes can be used for hot dishes and drinks, including soups

• polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride, regenerated cellulose (cellophane), polyesters, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, etc., into which non-polymer components are often introduced, such as foil, paper, fabric.

Hygienic assessment of materials and products in contact with food products is carried out in accordance with the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union “On Packaging Safety” Decision of the Customs Union of the Customs Union of August 16, 2011 N 769 “On the adoption of TR CU “On Packaging Safety” (together with “TR CU 005 /2011. Technical regulations of the Customs Union. On packaging safety").

To determine the possibility of contact of a polymer material with a specific food product, sanitary-hygienic and toxicological studies are carried out. Their goal is to identify chemicals and their quantities that can pass into food and drinks. The choice of priority pollutants in what we eat and methods for their analysis is determined by the formulation of the polymer composition and the properties of its ingredients.

What should you pay attention to when purchasing plastic containers or utensils?

- marking indicates the material from which the product is made, under what conditions, what temperature conditions, these containers should be used. Containers that may come into contact with food display a fork or glass symbol.

In general world practice, the following designations are used:

PET or PETE- polyethylene terephthalate. Used for the manufacture of packaging (bottles, boxes, cans, etc.) for bottling soft drinks, juices, water. This material can also be found in packaging for various types of powders and bulk food products.

HDPE (HDPE)- high density low pressure polyethylene. Used for the manufacture of products in contact with food, for the manufacture of toys. Considered safe for food use.

PVC or PVC- polyvinyl chloride. Used for pipes, tubes, garden furniture, in floor coverings, For window profiles, blinds, bottles of detergents and oilcloth. The material is potentially hazardous for food use.

LDPE (LDPE)- low-density polyethylene of high pressure. It is used in the production of plastic bags, flexible plastic packaging and for the manufacture of products approved for packaging and capping medicines.

PP- polypropylene. Used in the automotive industry, in the manufacture of toys, as well as in the food industry, mainly in the manufacture of packaging. Polypropylene can withstand high temperatures, so the dishes can be used for hot food and drinks. Contact with alcohol is possible, but undesirable.

PS- polystyrene. It is used in the manufacture of thermal insulation boards for buildings, food packaging, cutlery and cups, CD boxes and other packaging (cling film and foam), toys, dishes, pens and so on.
Polystyrene dishes are suitable exclusively for cold foods and soft drinks, because when heated or in contact with hot water, it releases styrene, a highly toxic substance. Under no circumstances should polystyrene utensils be used for hot foods, hot drinks, for heating food in a microwave oven, or as containers for alcoholic beverages.

OTHER or O- others. This group includes any other plastic that cannot be included in previous groups and is not toxic to the environment.

- smell - high-quality plastic dishes will not have any odor;

- dye - must be durable and not wash off when in contact with water and detergents;

Plastic dishes have their own best before date. The higher it is, the safer the material from which it is made. You can find out expiration dates from the seller, who is required to provide a certificate for the product.

- tightness. The container should allow as little air as possible inside; it is contact with air that spoils most products, even if they are stored in the refrigerator.

- information, offered to the buyer along with the product must necessarily contain information about the name of the product and the manufacturer, the location of the manufacturer, the basic consumer properties of the product, the rules and conditions for the effective and safe use of utensils;

- An important factor when purchasing any cookware is price- cheap plastic dishes may be made from low-quality materials that are hazardous to health.

In addition, pay attention to frost resistance of containers and resistance to temperature changes. Many modern products can withstand temperatures quite comfortably, with an amplitude from minus forty to plus one hundred and forty. And at the same time, you can use them both in the freezer and in the microwave. Plastic utensils that can withstand such temperature variations are labeled with the terms Duroplast and Thermoplast, which indicates their strength and the absence of deformation from temperature changes.

Disposable tableware should be disposed of immediately after first use!

• With prolonged use, disposable tableware, especially plastic, begins to release harmful substances into food.
• Reusing plastic bottles is often practiced in everyday life. This type of container can be reused if the label contains the term PET, which allows this. But if you see a three in a triangle or the term PVC in front of you, it’s better not to risk it and just throw away such a bottle.
• In dishes made from the substance “melamine” an increased content of formaldehyde is determined. This type of cookware is dangerous.

Be careful when purchasing plastic products that come into contact with food, use them only for their intended purpose, and consider storage and care.

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