Are Black Takeaway Spoons Unqualified?
author: Iris
2024-05-02
Are Black Takeaway Spoons Unqualified?
Recently, topics such as "black takeaway spoons are the dirtiest" and "black takeaway spoons are made of recycled waste plastics and have safety issues" have been circulated online, sparking discussions among consumers. What is the quality and safety of this spoon? Relevant reporters conducted a check.
1. About the Random Inspection of Lunch Boxes
It is reported that in 2023, for plastic disposable tableware, relevant regulatory authorities sampled 422 production units in 25 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) including Anhui, Guangdong, and Hubei, and spot-checked 431 batches of products. Only 2 batches of products failed, with a pass rate of 99.5%. The two batches of unqualified products were both lunch boxes, of which one batch each failed in safety items such as total migration and discoloration tests. The product quality supervision and spot check information inquiry platform shows that in 2022, one batch of disposable lunch boxes failed in quarterly spot checks, and the unqualified item was the discoloration test. From 2019 to 2021, no unqualified products were found in plastic disposable tableware for three consecutive years. From the overall situation, the pass rate of plastic takeaway spoons is not low.
It is understood that there are many materials for plastic disposable bento boxes, the most common ones are polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), etc. The materials of plastic disposable spoons are mainly PP and PS. The reporter interviewed two disposable tableware manufacturers by phone. Both companies said that the spoons they produced were made of PS material and no recycled plastic was used in the production process.
2. Where Do the Plastic Disposable Tableware We Use in Daily Life Go
At the end of 2023, the "Research Report on the Current Status of Recycling of Low-Value Recyclables in China" issued by the Institute of Economic System and Management of the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission classified plastic packaging boxes, plastic lunch boxes, plastic bags, etc. as "low-value plastic products". It is reported that these plastic products are light in weight, low in value, and most of them are disposed of together with domestic waste.
They are highly polluted and basically have no economic value for recycling. Most of them are incinerated or landfilled with domestic waste. There are also some places and companies that recycle plastic lunch boxes. According to the "Plastic Lunch Box Recycling Research Report" released by the Recycled Plastics Branch of the China Material Recycling Association, plastic lunch boxes are not used at the same level after being recycled and processed into particles, but are widely used in packaging, building materials, automobiles, electronic appliances and home furnishing industries.
3. Are There Any Hazards Caused by Different Colors
Zhong Kai, director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center, said that my country currently does not allow plastic disposable tableware to be produced using recycled plastics. During the production process, as long as safe colorants are added within the scope permitted by regulations, there is no difference in safety whether it is a white, black or clear bento box.
1) Pay Attention to Material
It should be noted that when consumers purchase and use plastic disposable tableware including takeaway spoons, they should choose products with intact packaging and pay attention to whether there are signs such as "food contact" on the packaging. The surface of the plastic spoon should be flat and smooth, uniform in texture, normal in color and without odor. When using, you should also pay attention to the appropriate use temperature and precautions of the product.
For example, PP plastic lunch boxes marked "microwave-suitable" can be put into the microwave for heating, but PS lunch boxes, lunch box lids or dinner spoons are not suitable. In addition, try not to use plastic reusable to go containers, and do not store food in plastic disposable tableware for a long time.
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