WWF-UK: Chemicals in the kitchen
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Chemicals and Health
Kitchen
Chemicals in the kitchen
Avoid
- tinned food products;
- products containing Triclosan , such as certain plastic chopping-boards, washing-up cloths, sponges, liquids, soaps and disinfectants;
- chemical air fresheners or heavily scented cleaning products such as dishwashing liquids, floor cleaners and washing powders;
- using cling film in contact with high fat foods, unless the manufacturer's advice states it is suitable for this (high fat foods include dairy products, meat, pastries and cakes);
- using cling film when re-heating or cooking food in a microwave oven;
- using silicon-based baking paper;
- microwaving food in plastic containers, unless they are designed for that purpose;
- PVC and PC plastics (look on the packaging for either PVC 3 or PC 7, or look inside the recycling triangle for the numbers 3 or 7).
Buy
- fresh, frozen or dried food rather than tinned food;
- organic products wherever possible;
- a water filter to reduce the levels of chemical contaminants in drinking water;
- fragrance-free "green cleaners" or ones with a natural fragrance;
- products that don't contain Triclosan
- buy a whole range of ecologically friendly cleaning products from the WWF shop
Change
- processed foods for fresh, organic products wherever possible;
- reduce your intake of fatty meats and other high-fat foods such as cheese and cream;
- any lead water pipes in your house;
- from using anti-bacterial cleaners containing Triclosan to products which don't - they give perfectly adequate protection against potentially harmful bacteria.
Extra info
Cleaning products, plastic wrapping and food itself can all contain a number of hazardous chemicals.
Food
Watch what you eat: around 1,000 different chemicals might be present in our food! UK government data shows that more than a third of fruit and vegetables and 40 per cent of cereal products contain pesticide residues. Fruit and vegetables are essential parts of a healthy diet, of course, but the amount of contaminants they carry needs to be reduced.
Most food tins are lined with a resin which contains a hormone-disrupting chemical called bisphenol A, which can leach from the tin into the food inside. Bisphenol A is also found in Polycarbonate (PC) plastics, from which some bottles and storage containers are made.
Many food products come in PVC packaging such as cling film or plastic wrapping. PVC wrapping contains man-made chemicals called adipates, known hormone disruptors, which can leach into the wrapped food.
Cleaning Products
The number of household cleaning products and disinfectants containing anti-bacterial agents such as Triclosan is increasing. Triclosan and a breakdown product are contaminants in the environment, and Triclosan has also been found in fish and breast milk. Synthetic fragrances are also widely used in household products. They can persist in the environment for long periods and build up in our own bodies as well as wildlife.
