The U.S. House of Representatives Cafeterias Switch to Plastic Foodservice Products
Based on news reports, many people on Capitol Hill clearly have strong opinions about the switch back to plastic foodservice ware in the U.S. House of Representatives cafeterias. And it appears that some of these opinions are influenced by questions about the safety of these products.
Polystyrene plastic has been used in foodservice products—foam coffee cups, salad bar takeout containers, cutlery, hot noodle cups and more—for more than five decades. Based on numerous scientific tests over this time, government safety agencies have determined that polystyrene is safe for this use. For example, polystyrene meets the standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission/European Food Safety Authority for use in packaging to store and serve food. The Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department recently reviewed the safety of serving various foods in polystyrene foodservice products and reached the same conclusion as the U.S. FDA.
Public health officials and regulatory agencies recognize that these disposable foodservice products are safe and hygienic for everyday use, particularly in settings such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, cafeterias and restaurants, where it is critical that the foodservice ware in contact with food be clean and sanitary.
News reports have quoted some people’s concerns over styrene, the substance used to make polystyrene. (Styrene also occurs naturally in beer, cheese, cinnamon and other foods—see below.). All packaging—glass, aluminum, paper and plastic—contains substances that can "migrate" in very tiny amounts to foods or beverages. That’s one of the reasons why FDA regulates food packaging in the first place: to be confident that the amount of migrated substances does not present a health concern. Test data submitted to the FDA indicate that the migration of styrene from polystyrene foodservice products is tiny and expected to be significantly below the safety limits: 10,000 times less than FDA’s acceptable daily intake level.
Styrene has had decades of scientific review and is not categorized as a known human carcinogen by any regulatory or scientific review agency. A comprehensive review of potential risks associated with exposure to styrene was conducted by a 12 member international, scientific panel selected by the Harvard Center for Risk Assessment. The Harvard study reported that styrene is naturally present in foods such as strawberries, beef and spices and is naturally produced in the processing of foods such as wine and cheese. The study also reviewed the published data on the quantity of styrene contributing to the diet due to migration of styrene from food packaging and foodservice products. The panel concluded there is no cause for concern for the general public from exposure to styrene from foods or polystyrene packaging and foodservice containers.
For more information on the safety of plastic foodservice products, click here, or contact us.