While concerns about the use of Styrene in all foam cups and in many plastics dinnerware have been around for decades, 2014 turned out to be a year with renewed alarms about the dangers of Styrene-based products. Health experts and officials in the United States and in Europe continued to warn the public about the dangers of Styrene, and some cities went so far as banning disposal dinnerware that are not Styrene-free.
Dr. Phillip Landrigan of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine told ABC News Nightly News that it makes sense for people to minimize their exposure to foam products because they are made with Styrene. The National Institute of Health says “there is mounting evidence that styrene, a component of that little white cup, may cause leukemia and lymphoma.” The same dangerous component used in foam cups are also used in many plastic plates and bowls; making them especially dangerous for pregnant Women. Back in August, theNational Research Council affirmed a 2011 finding of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department that styrene can reasonably be anticipated to be a human hazard.
But as government entities and private institutions raised the alarm, some companies – such as Georgia Pacific and MVP Plastics – stopped using Styrene in their disposal dinnerware production. Instead, these companies use a safer component known aspolypropylene (pp). Additionally, these companies use 50% less plastic, and use natural minerals like calcium instead. Styrene-free products usually indicate so on consumer packaging and/or the packaging boasts that the dinnerware and containers are safe for microwave use. These changes steeply reduces the risk of dangerous components from leaching into food when warming them in a microwave.
Household-name food outlets, such as Starbucks, stopped using Styrene-based cups. Multiple cities outright banned the use of styrene-based disposable food containers. Late last year, the New York City Council passed a measure that will ban the use of foam cups since these cups are not Styrene-free.
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15 Responses
Ok great. Where are the Kashrus rabble rousers to come out of the wood work and Assur these cups as well? Only cups with a private “Heimisha” Hechsher at 3 times the price will do.
O U will be on them, next to the O U aluminum foil. Love a coffee in a styro cup!
Why is the public so unaware of the dangers of Styrene?
What’s with you? Kashrus is not health. Use your own brains and avoid unhealthy things. You don’t need hashgacha for that. How do you know what jacks up prices? Do you know the costs involved in השגחה?
Actually, it will need a hechsher! Towards the end of the article it says: “Additionally, these companies use 50% less plastic, and use natural minerals like calcium instead.” Calcium can come from many non-kosher sources.
Dr. Joe of McGill University says online (posting re k cus) that styrene occurs naturally in cinamon and beer and so he suggests that the concern here is misplaced. That said I’ve heard second hand that a Toronto Gadol avoids using styrofoam for health reasons.
If the article is correct then everyone who cares about their health should be looking for a styrene free product and asking the store owners who don’t carry to make sure it’s available.
better late then ever we shouldnt be smarter from Starbucks Coffee and dunkin donuts who stopped using the styrene cups
even it cost them 30 percent more
the info of styrene health and environmental isshes are all over the web
i hope supermarkets in our area start carrying Georgia Pacific and MVP Plastics products for a compatative price so far didnt see them
I used the MVP Plates got it at evergreen supermarket in Monsey didn’t know about the styrene issues but can report
if you heat your food plates in the microwave try it you will never use anything else
the first time I had a hot bowl of soup not spilled and bend out of shape it was actually still a bowl
KRM in Boro Park has the MVP Brand it also Pomegranate in flatbush
any one knows where you can get it in williamsburg
Does anyone know where I can find the MVP or Georgia pacific brand in Montreal or Toronto? Is the microwave thing real or just fancy marketing?
WOW!!!Finally its going out to the public!
Those terrible dangerous cheap plastic plates and plastic bowls should be removed from the market! Any professor that has ever touched this topic and has done research is shaken up and mentions that they just can’t get it… How thousands are using these chemical plastic goods for food and even microwaving their meals in it! You might have not realize that when you try to heat up your meal in those current plastic plates that’s on the market, once you try to get it out of the microwave, not only it bends as if you would’ve used a plastic bag… But a half of the plate atleast is gone… Where do u guys think the plastic went if not directly into your food???
Its terrible!! Someone made me aware of this for a long time ago, I’ve tried to get a hold on certain brands like Georgia pacific plates, buts after a while I couldn’t afford it as its very high priced, so I went back to regular ceremic dishes which is to old fashioned and hard to wash and lazy to use in a 2014 generation, I finally got a hold on these adorable MVP plates, which are BPA FREE, microwaveable, and is STYRENE FREE, plus I’ve found this on the shelf at KRM in bp, they somehow ran out of it at one point and I’ve heard that in williamsburg you can get it as well, I work in williamsburg, so I picked up a case of the plates at lefkowitz grocery they are located at lee ave corner ross street,
But other store probably have it as well, good luck!
Dixie is from Georgia pacific and they have products with
styrene
I found this product at Moisha’s Discount in flatbush, it had a hashgucha of the OU, and before pessach it had a hashgucha from mishkultza rav, was amazed of the actual quality of the product, love the design and neat professional packaging versus other current brands that have flimzy bags which are not practical, i wish more groceries in boropark would start selling it, i buy often at super 13 but unfortunately they don’t have it yet, pretty disapointing:(
Only the vanity fair brand is styrene free, but its very expensive