Illnesses can arise if you use plastic bags to hold hot food.

Using plastic bags to hold food is convenient and cost-effective. However, using plastic bags to hold hot food poses a very high risk of illness.

Because of their low cost, most food vendors, whether selling uncooked or cooked food, use plastic bags for packaging. Even hot rice, soup, pho, and noodle dishes are often served in plastic bags. Furthermore, many places also use plastic bags to hold coffee, soft drinks, and other beverages.

From unprocessed to processed foods, vendors use plastic bags for packaging. Photo: Nguyen Vo

Nylon is a very durable, flexible, and thin type of plastic bag. Nylon is recyclable. However, it is also a polluting material for the environment. The toxic plastic from nylon packaging seeps into the soil and water sources, significantly affecting human health and many other organisms.

The quality of plastic bags on the market today is very difficult to control. If plastic bags used for food are made from recycled plastic, they pose a serious health risk to users. The more times plastic is recycled, the more toxic it becomes; prolonged use of this type of plastic can lead to the accumulation of toxins, potentially causing cancer. If they are made from waste plastic, the risk of bacterial contamination is very high.

Storing hot food in plastic bags is very harmful. (Image: Internet)

According to some experts, plastic containers should, in principle, only be used for storing cold food. If used to store hot food, the amount of monostyrene (a toxic substance) released from this type of plastic will increase, potentially damaging the liver and causing other health problems. Besides storing hot food, this type of plastic can also release toxins when exposed to oils, fats, salt, acids, etc., which can be harmful to users.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, unlike nylon bags made from high-quality plastic on the market, many nylon bags are made from recycled plastic that do not guarantee safety. These types can be dangerous to consumers' health if used directly with prepared food.

Many experts advise against using plastic bags to hold hot prepared food. Hot drinks should also not be put in plastic bags.

According to PLO