Environmental Question #26 [Polypropylene Food Containers]

Can you give a sense of the risk level of storing food in the refrigerator in polypropylene (translucent quart sized “deli containers”)?

Courtesy of Reddit user u/PollardPie

Q: Can you give a sense of the risk level of storing food in the refrigerator in polypropylene (translucent quart sized “deli containers”)? Would you say it’s an “avoid at all costs” or a “risks can be mitigated” or something else?

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A: Great question! Polypropylene isn't a particularly high risk material. It's broadly considered food safe, and it doesn't contain any ingredients that are immediately toxic. That said, all materials shed microparticles when they are used. Wood sheds micro-wood, metal sheds micro-metal, and plastic sheds micro-plastic.

I'm sure you've seen plenty of articles talking about the supposed dangers of microplastics, but today it is unclear just how much of a concern microplastics really are. There have been dozens of reputable studies showing that microplastics have made their way throughout our bodies, and while it is indisputable that the plastics are there, research is still being conducted on how much of an actual health threat microplastics are. Some preliminary data is showing that microplastics can cause certain cancers and blockages, so microplastics certainly aren't good, but at the same time people aren't eating with a plastic fork and immediately dropping dead, so the risk must be somewhere in between.

Personally, I still use plastic food containers. The risk from them is low enough that I'm comfortable taking it on, but everyone's risk tolerance is different, so ultimately the decision is up to you.

Here's a question I answered where I got into the nitty-gritty (still readable for non-experts) of microplastic toxicology if you're interested:  

Environmental Question #20 [Microplastic Toxicology]