Since Tupperware, the iconic kitchen brand that's been a household name for decades, signalled recently that it might be going out of business, you might be wondering how long your stash of its food storage containers is safe to use — especially if it's vintage.
Figuring out the answer to that question for any type of reusable plastic food storage products — not just Tupperware — often comes down to understanding what they're made of.
In addition to food containers, BPA has been used in various other products, such as shatterproof windows, water bottles and eyewear, and in resins coating metal food cans, bottle tops and water supply pipes. The composition of your plastic product can depend on the year you bought it, Vandenberg said.
Putting highly acidic foods — such as tomatoes or citrus fruits — in these products does the same thing, Vandenberg said. Discoloration of a container can signal that a chemical change has occurred in the plastic, Vandenberg said. "Usually that is happening because there's lots of little micro-holes or micro-tears," she explained. "And now there's an interaction with the food and the plastic . So if the plastic is discoloured, it's telling you that that plastic is breaking down."
The shape of the molecules in BPA make it more likely to bind to estrogen receptors, Vandenberg added. "I avoid using those reusable plastics as much as possible, because I have yet to see good evidence that there are consumer plastics that are free from estrogenic properties."
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