Re: Tupperware

[Patricia Dines <73652.1202@CompuServe.COM>]

<<Does anyone out there know if there are certain chemicals lurking in 
     Tupperware products?  Jessica Landman, Senior Attorney, at NRDC, wants 
     to know.  Yes, you guessed right; she's thinking of having a 
     Tupperware party, but wants to check first whether their products are 
     environmentally acceptable.
     
     Thanks for any reply!
     
     Carol James
     NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)
     e-mail -- cjames@nrdc.org>>

Hi - 

I don't know if anyone answered you privately (not to the list), and I'm not an
expert on these matters, but I'd be pretty sure that there are indeed chemicals
lurking in Tupperware, as there are in most plastics, especially the soft ones.
The totally unscientific test I use is to take an empty container that's been
closed for a long time (as the usually are when you buy it) and smell it.  If I
can smell a chemical (it has a specific smell you might associate with
plastics), I believe (from my body's response) that it's bad enough for me to
not get near, especially for food.  I don't believe that whatever causes that
smell ever goes away, and in the meantime gets in the food.  It's usually with
the soft plastics.  I believe this is the issue they talk about called
outgassing.  I'm sure someone on the list can give a more scientific answer on
the problems - in fact, I thought they would by now. Perhaps my amateur answer
will draw them out....

Sorry for the bad news - P. Dines