Are PET containers safe - popular misconceptions about plastic packaging
Many people are still concerned about the safety of PET containers. Such fears are understandable, because consumers want to buy food and water, packaged in harmless packaging. Some of them are sure that containers made of polyethylene terephthalate can cause disturbances in the functioning of the body. To establish how legitimate such accusations are, it is necessary to carefully study this issue.
3 myths about the dangers of PET containers
In modern conditions, with a high rate of production, the most economical materials are used for packaging food and water. These include polyethylene terephthalate - a thermoplastic polymer from which containers and food wrap are made. Since the material is synthetic in nature, many buyers have concerns about it. Let's consider the most common ones.
1. Heating of PET containers leads to the release of dibutyl phthalate
To evaluate this statement without bias, it is necessary to study the physical and chemical properties of polyethylene terephthalate. The melting point of the material is 260 ℃, the glass transition of PET starts at 70 ℃. Polyethylene terephthalate loses its properties at temperatures below -40 ℃ and above + 62.5 ℃. Even when critical temperatures are reached, at which the material loses some of its properties, the concentration of toxic substances, such as phthalates, is extremely low in it. According to a study carried out by the Fraunhofer IVV Institute for Technology and Packaging (Germany), PET is an environmentally friendly and safe material.
2. The use of drinks and products from PET containers has a negative effect on the endocrine and nervous system. A
high level of inertness is one of the reasons why polyethylene terephthalate is actively used in industry. This property means that the substance is insoluble in water and in many organic solvents, including weak acids and alcohols. Thus, PET packaging practically does not react with water and products stored in it, and does not emit toxic substances in them. People who say otherwise often unknowingly confuse polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate. Indeed, in the production of polycarbonate containers, bisphenol-A is used - a substance that can dissolve in water and release toxic substances into it. The technology for the production of PET containers excludes the use of bisphenol, so such containers are safe. You can distinguish PET containers from polycarbonate containers by special marking.
3. Poisonous substances are used in the production of PET containers. The
production of containers for food products is strictly regulated and regulated by international and national standards. They contain requirements for the quality of raw materials and their composition, as well as for production technology. For the manufacture of food containers, materials that contain potentially hazardous and toxic substances in excess of the maximum permissible concentration are not allowed. According to a 2000 study by the International Institute of Life Sciences in the United States, PET is a safe and non-genotoxic material.
PET container production technologies
Taraplast LLC, a certified manufacturer of PET containers in Ukraine, uses modern and technologically advanced raw materials in the production of containers. With the help of special automatic equipment, preforms are made from polyethylene terephthalate, which has passed quality control. After that, the blanks are blown out. Products are carefully rejected and tested before being sold. Packaging made of polyethylene terephthalate from Taraplast LLC complies with sanitary standards.
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