3 ecological and healthy solutions for food preservation

Are you contributing to the destruction of our planet?

Plastic, particularly that found in various kitchen utensils, is one of the main factors that is contributing most to environmental pollution. It is estimated that every year about 8 million tons of plastic are generated and that in the year 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans!

This reality will not change until each one of us, as inhabitants of this planet, decides to change the habits that favor the increase of environmental pollution, namely the use of plastic in the domestic environment.

Plastic bottles, plastic kitchen utensils, plastic shopping bags, plastic garbage bags, plastic film, plastic containers and plastic packaging are present in most kitchens contributing, without any doubt, to this increasingly alarming pollution scenario.

Plastic is NOT biodegradable, ending up piling up in landfills and oceans. Imagine the plastic garbage that you put weekly in the container. Multiply that garbage for 52 weeks and you will get an idea of the total plastic waste that your house generated in one year. And now imagine that total multiplied by billions of people!

Plastics contain toxicants that are harmful to your health

Besides drastically polluting the environment, most plastic has two types of toxicants that are highly harmful to health. These are them:

BISPHENOL-A (BPA)

Bisphenol-A, or BPA, is a chemical that makes up the majority of plastics such as bottles, bottles, cutlery, plate containers and plastic cups, as well as cling film.

This chemical is a synthetic compound considered a hormone disrupter, since it has the ability to interfere with hormonal functioning. In fact, studies (1, 2) state that BPA is related to infertility, both in women and men, and that it can also affect the health of embryos and foetuses (3).

Besides affecting the endocrine system, BPA can also alter the immune function, stimulate the production of cancer cells, increase the number of fat cells, create brain damage, develop hyperactivity and other behavioral disorders, among others.

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)

According to a study conducted by the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC), vinyl chloride, used to create PVC, is considered a carcinogenic substance (4). This chemical, which is present in several products of plastic origin such as the adherent film, is commonly used with the purpose of increasing the flexibility of the plastic.

Besides vinyl chloride, PVC can also contain phthalates, namely DEHP. This substance, used to soften plastics, is related to fertility problems and disorders of the liver and lungs (5).

WE are destroying our planet; our home. Moreover, we are seriously harming our body with the amount of toxics we introduce into it daily.

It is urgent that we change this reality!

3 ECOLOGICAL AND HEALTHY SOLUTIONS TO PRESERVE FOOD

One of the most effective ways to stop the so destructive impact that plastic is having on our planet, and on your body as well, is to avoid using it.

You can:

use cloth bags, instead of plastic, to go shopping
drink filtered water
take water from home in an ecological bottle
use wooden, bamboo or silicone kitchen utensils
buy in bulk and with cotton bags or glass containers
use ecological adhesive film
keep food in non-plastic containers (see some examples below)

I realize that many people are already implementing some strategies to reduce plastic consumption, such as the use of cloth bags on shopping trips and also the replacement of plastic bottles with ecological ones. However, there are two plastic products, which are still very present in our kitchens, which are the cling film and the containers for preserving food.

Favorite ecological and healthy solutions to conserve food:

SILICONE STASHER BAGS FOR FOOD PRESERVATION

These Stasher bags or boxes are a fantastic alternative to conventional plastic food storage containers. They are made of silicone, a material that consists of synthetic polymers of silicates obtained from sand silicon. It is a stable, inert material, durable and resistant to both very low temperatures (such as freezer) and very high temperatures (such as oven).

Its great advantage is that it is a multi-purpose bag. You can use it to conserve food in the refrigerator or freezer, as well as to put it in the oven and microwave (although I do not recommend the use of this appliance!), as well as to take food to work, beach, etc.

In addition, it can also be used to conserve food in a vacuum. It can be washed in the dishwasher.

ECO TUPPERWARES SLICE OF GREEN

I don’t know any kitchen that doesn’t have a closet full of tupperware! The fact is that they are quite useful in everyday life to conserve food and take food to work.

The problem, related to these containers, is that they are made of plastic. And, for all the reasons I mentioned before, they should therefore be avoided.

The material that makes up these ecological tupperware, of the Slice of Green brand, is stainless steel, which is totally safe and free of toxins, does not pass flavors or smells to food and, due to its resistance, is also quite durable. They can be washed in the dishwasher.

VEJIBAG ORGANIC COTTON BAGS TO STORE FOOD

These Vejibag biological cotton bags are perfect for increasing the time and quality of food preservation, since they prevent excess moisture.

You can also use these cotton bags to go shopping, thus avoiding the use of plastic bags.

How to use them: wet the bag and drain it; wash the vegetables; put the vegetables inside the bag and then store it in the fridge.

Vejibag bags can be washed by hand or in the machine since they are made of 100% cotton.