Food Safety

Notwithstanding safety concerns about the production and degradation of plastic products, this CNBC news segment points out that plastic production has doubled over the past couple of decades. Political efforts to boost oil and gas production makes plastics all the cheaper to produce. Recycling sounds good, but only small amounts of plastic are actually recycled, and the technical challenges to recycle most plastics are daunting. Critics of microplastic pollution argue that the place to start is to cut the use of single-use plastics. (CNBC; 2025; 16’31”)

Plastics are used in every corner of society, from food containers to toys, plastic wrap to automobile parts, and thousands of other products. Plastics come in countless forms and offer huge conveniences, safety, and durability, depending on their use. However, plastics dumped into the ocean or landfills inevitably degrade into minute particles that work their way up the food chain and enter our bodies. There, microplastics may be disrupting hormonal systems, causing cancer, or other health problems. The question is whether individuals and manufacturers can reduce their use of plastic, and whether scientists and engineers can devise replacements that are multi-functional but degrade safely. Those, clearly, will be challenges for the rest of the 21st century. (UN Environment Programme; 2024; 1’01”)

Thousands of chemicals end up in our food, either intentionally or unintentionally. The Food and Drug Administration is charged with keeping potentially dangerous substances out of our food. But this news account of a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics contends that the FDA simply has not done what parents and others expect it to do. Note, though, that despite concerns about rarely used additives like titanium dioxide and brominated vegetable oil, by far the most harmful chemicals added to packaged foods are salt and sugar. (CBS “This Morning”; 2018; 3’17”)

PFAS, the abbreviation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, contaminate our food from some pizza boxes, plastic takeout packages, non-stick cookware, and other sources. As long as they are permitted in the food-supply chain, consumers should take measures to reduce their levels in our foods. That may include such measures as cooking with different frying pans and spatulas to removing takeout food from plastic containers promptly and not storing those foods in those containers, and eating fresh foods that never touched plastics. (Consumer Reports; 1’39”)

The 21st century has brought more and more evidence that chemical contaminants, such as PFAS and BPA, from plastics contaminates our food…and the whole global environment. Such chemicals may cause cancer, mimic hormones, and have other health effects. This brief overview may motivate you to take steps to reduce the amounts of those contaminants in your food and body. (Gulf Coast News, NBC-TV; 2024; 2’06”)

Three-fourths of all antibiotics are used to treat and prevent infections in animals raised in dirty, crowded conditions (and that means almost all chickens, pigs, and cattle). The goal may be worthy, but overuse of antibiotics promotes the proliferation of E. coli, Salmonella, and other bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics. If those “superbugs” contaminate our food, consumers may develop diseases that are much harder to treat and might even cause deaths. (Farm Animal Concerns Trust; 2025; 2’58”)

“Food Safety 101 – The Journey of food safety from farm to table” is a nice overview of food safety, suitable for people 10 to 100. It covers the bases regarding the different types of risk (bacterial, chemical, physical, adulteration), the health problems that might result, and strategies for keeping those risks out of the food supply. (Public Health Academy; 2022; 7’51”)