Recently, the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing Municipal Party Committee Cyberspace Administration and other departments jointly disclosed a number of pseudosciences in life, among which the widely concerned statement "Wrapping food in plastic wrap and heating it will release carcinogens into the food" was mentioned. Is this statement true?

"Wrapping food in plastic wrap and heating it will cause cancer"

Is it true?

Plastic wrap is a plastic packaging product, usually made of ethylene as a masterbatch through polymerization reaction. According to the different types of ethylene masterbatch, most of the plastic wrap sold in the Chinese market can be divided into three categories:

The first is polyethylene plastic wrap, referred to as PE;

The second is polyvinyl chloride plastic wrap, referred to as PVC;

The third is polyvinylidene chloride plastic wrap, referred to as PVDC.

Zhang Mei, a researcher at the Institute of Analysis and Testing, Beijing Academy of Science and Technology: Because there are a lot of plasticizers in PVC plastic wrap, there are many reports about the production of some teratogenic and carcinogenic substances in plasticizers, and people may be panicked about this, but all toxic or harmful substances are actually related to the dose. For example, if this PVC cling film meets the requirements of national standards and we purchase it through formal channels, the limit and amount of plasticizers in it are required. If it meets the relevant requirements and is used reasonably and normally, it is actually safe.

PE cling film is mainly used for food packaging. Fruits, vegetables, and semi-finished products purchased from supermarkets can be preserved with PE cling film. PVC cling film can be used for food packaging, but because it contains di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which is commonly known as plasticizer, it increases the elasticity and toughness of plastics while having a certain impact on human safety. It is not suitable for heating. PVDC cling film is mainly used for the packaging of some cooked food, meat and other products, and can be heated to a limited extent.

PVDC cling film is heat-resistant and non-toxic

and is superior to ordinary cling film

Experts say that it is necessary to use different cling films for different foods. The cling film on the Chinese market can be roughly divided into two categories based on its function:

One is ordinary cling film, which is suitable for refrigerator preservation;

The other is microwave cling film, which can be used for both refrigerator preservation and microwave oven preservation.

PVDC cling film is far superior to ordinary cling film in terms of heat resistance and non-toxicity. Therefore, as long as it is used according to the instructions and meets the relevant requirements, there is no need to worry too much.

Source: CCTV News Client, Science Popularization China

Editor: Shanxi Evening News All Media Editor Cao Rui

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