Medical Questions » Other Problems Questions » Question No. 1391
| Question: | What' s your view on clingfilm and aluminium foil — are these harmful? |
| Answer: | As long as they don' t touch your food, they' re fine, especially the ' non-PVC types. Clingfilm, like some other plastics, may release hormone-mimicking chemicals into your food, especially oily food (see ' Is it a bad idea to use plastic dishes when heating things up in the microwave?' , page 310). This process and the potential risks are far from fully understood, but while uncertainty persists, it' s better to be cautious. The effects of plastics on our reproductive health are the cause of some concern in research circles at present. This isn' t an issue if the film doesn' t touch your food, and if you use it to keep food such as salads fresh in storage, it' s very useful. It' s also less likely to be a problem if you wrap non-oily foods such as sand-wiches in clingfilm.
Aluminium foil is a similar case. If you use it to cover something you' re baking in the oven but it doesn' t touch the food, I can' t see it would cause a problem. Aluminium foil (or cookware or utensils, for that matter) in contact with food will leach small amounts of aluminium into your food. I wouldn' t recommend grilling pieces of meat directly on aluminium foil. If you' re deficient in zinc or calcium, for instance, you' re more likely to absorb the aluminium. It' s toxic to the nervous system and has been linked to various problems from hyperactivity in children to Alzheimer' s in the elderly. |
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