Healthier Food Storage

Healthier Food Storage

Healthier Food Storage
By Patricia Dines

Article from The Next STEP newsletter
November/December 2021 (Volume 21, Number 6)
(c) Copyright Patricia Dines, 2021. All rights reserved.

As we start heading into our seasonal holiday celebrations, so much has changed and is being reinvented. Still some things likely remain the same. For instance: There will probably be leftovers! And food being carried from home to home. And perhaps reorganizing of kitchens to prepare for guests.

And so ... we’ll need good food containers! But how can we choose ones that keep petro-plastic toxics out of our food, beverages, and bodies — to protect our health and our families?

I’ve previously explored how plastic is getting into our food, and the fact that toxic plastic components such as BPA are being regularly found in our bodies. (Eeps!) I also described how we can systematically identify and reduce the plastics in our food. [For my prior article, see STEP Volume 21, Number 4.]

In this article I’ll explore one aspect in more depth: how to choose better storage containers. (Psst, these containers can also make great gifts, to support the health of people you care about! Or to put on your own holiday wish list!)

Choosing Containers Wisely
1) STRONGLY AVOID: Soft plastic containers. These easily release toxics into food and beverages. When you press on them, they go in softly and often have a stinky smell. They can have a variety of recycling codes, or none.

2) BETTER: Hard plastic containers. These can be acceptable if needed, for instance, to carry lunch, gallons of water, or children’s meals. Look for the recycling code 5 on the bottom (which means that it’s polypropylene). A code 7 is OK only if it also says “BPA-free.” However be aware that “BPA-free” products can still have other toxics inside. It helps a lot if the product label also says “phthlate-free.”

3) BEST MATERIALS: You can mix and match for your different needs.
■ Glass. Glass offers many benefits for food storage. It’s nonporous, so it doesn’t absorb food, germs, or smells. It won’t stain or get misshapen (as plastic can). You can easily see what’s inside. Sturdy glass can usually go into your dishwasher and sometimes into your microwave (if it has no metal, for instance). Glass is easy to reuse again and again, and tends to last longer than plastic, reducing total cost. And it can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity. (Plastic quality often degrades quickly with recycling.)

Glass can have its downsides. Its containers can sometimes be heavier than plastic, and/or break more easily if dropped. This can be an issue when traveling, or being used by children or slightly clumsy people (like me!).

You can find a wide range of glass jar styles in home stores, kitchen stores, and thrift stores. You can also reuse glass jars from your food products (such as pasta sauce).

I personally love storing food in Mason jars (aka Ball or Kerr jars). They’re much less likely to break, and they come in various useful sizes, so I can always get more and they all look good together. They’re usually priced well. There are two standard lid sizes (Regular and Wide Mouth), which makes lid storage easier.

I’ve used these for many foods, including cereals, flours, grains, beans, olives, nuts, teas, dried fruits, and candies. I even use them to make refrigerator herbal tea, helping me consume healthy beverages. They’re also commonly used for food gifts!

TIP: You can get various specialty lids for these jars. For instance, for frequently accessed foods, I use a hard plastic lid to replace the two-part canning lid. I feel that its reuse benefit warrants a little plastic. There are also lids for kefir, kombucha, fermenting, sipping, and more. Be sure to check the materials!

■ Ceramic. There are three types of ceramic. Porcelain, or fine china, which is very hard, shiny, and often white. Stoneware, which looks like smoothed stone and is similarly durable. And earthenware, which looks earthy, but can chip easily and must be glazed for food use. If buying the latter two, check that they’re food-safe and lead-safe, and follow the use and cleaning instructions.

You’ll often find ceramic in classic countertop food canisters used for staples like flour, sugar, tea, etc. If these get damaged, you generally can’t recycle them. So then look for ways to artistically reuse them. Even pieces can go into mosaics!

■ Stainless steel (SS). I was delighted when an expert mentioned a while back that SS is another healthier option. I hadn’t realized that some useful products have emerged in this category!

Stainless steel is lightweight, making it easy to bring along. It’s non-porous, thus avoiding staining and odors. It’s durable, long-lasting, and can be stored in a freezer or fridge. It’s usually oven and dishwasher safe (check the labels). It can be recycled endlessly.

One downside is that SS is not microwaveable. It can also be more expensive, but its longevity can balance that out. You also can’t see inside, unless you have a clear silicone lid (which some of the U-Konserve SS containers do!)

■ Food-grade silicone. I’ve been wondering for a while about silicone in kitchen products, so I was glad to research it for my prior article. I was even happier to discover that “food-safe” silicone (aka platinum-grade) is consistently found to be non-toxic and safe, even when heated. Like plastic, silicone can take different forms (from malleable to hard), but it skips the BPA, lead, and phthalates.

Plus it’s non-stick, non-staining, odorless, easy to clean, and long-lasting. It’s lightweight, so it’s easy to transport. It can go in a microwave, oven, freezer, and dishwasher. If cared for well, it won’t leak, harden, crack, peel, crumble, dry out, rot, or become brittle over time.

Silicone storage products include container lids, reusable baggies, stretch bowl covers and suction lids (used instead of plastic wrap).

TIP: Look for products labeled “food-grade” or “platinum.” This helps ensure that they don’t have other materials inside.

Note that silicone, while very stable, is not completely inert. Small amounts can leach over long periods. So I’m personally not comfortable boiling it. And I’d be cautious before using silicone bottle nipples or pacifiers (because of a baby’s sensitivity and the longer exposure time). If you use them, look for medical grade silicone.

Silicone can be recycled, through specialized companies. It does persist in landfills. Still, I think that replacing lots of toxic plastic bags with one long-lasting non-toxic reusable silicone bag is clearly a net gain!

Overall Tips

1) On all containers, evaluate the lids! Apply the same principles of avoiding plastic, most importantly soft plastic. Better lid choices include glass, metal, and wood, with rubber or silicone gaskets.

2) Get lids with a tight seal. This helps keep food fresh, preserve flavor, and block insects.

3) Read your product labels for use and care specifics! Important details can vary notably.

4) Label your containers to avoid confusion. You can write or computer print product names on sticky labels, or onto paper secured with scotch or packaging tape. A permanent marker will often write on hard plastics. You might also note cooking information. For instance, I taped my tabouli recipe on my bulgur wheat jar, to keep it handy.

For more time-saving purchase and usage tips, see my HC webpage. It includes this article, a link to the prior one, and juicy specifics about which local stores carry what products that meet these criteria. (www.healthyworld.org/HC.html) [That's this page! :-) ]

Please feel free to share your tips with me! What works for you in skipping the plastic in your food and beverage containers?

And remember, you don’t need to do it all at once. Just step by step!

BONUS WEBSITE INFORMATION!
I hope that you find this information useful!

MORE INFORMATION ON SOME OF THE ARTICLE TOPICS
* How to Tell If Something Is Microwave Safe
https://www.overstock.com/guides/how-to-tell-if-something-is-microwave-safe
* Can You Microwave Glass Jars? Is it Safe? Here’s What to Know
https://homemicrowave.com/can-you-microwave-glass-jars/
* Ceramic choice and care
https://www.mamaisonrevol.com/what-are-the-differences-between-porcelain-and-stoneware/
* How to tell if pottery is food safe (including stoneware and earthenware)
https://emersoncreekpottery.com/how-to-tell-if-pottery-is-food-safe/
* FDA information about what type of pottery can have lead, including if it's marked lead-free, and how to tell
https://www.fda.gov/food/metals-and-your-food/questions-and-answers-lead-glazed-traditional-pottery
* Ideas for upcycling dishes (creative reuse, to save them from the dump)
https://www.pinterest.com/samaritancenter/dishes-upcycled/?lp=true
* What Is Dishwasher Safe? 10 Things You Don't Have to Wash by Hand
https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/what-is-dishwasher-safe
* 12 Things Never to Put in Your Dishwasher
https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/12-things-never-to-put-in-your-dishwasher-50598
* Comparing natural rubber latex vs silicone pacifiers for babies
https://bibsworld.com/blogs/guides/natural-rubber-latex-vs-silicone
* Suggested criteria for choosing pacifiers, and their pros and cons. Has two links to two medical-grade silicone options.
https://www.gentlenursery.com/baby-gear/best-pacifiers/

BRANDS
Here are two brands for better containers that I generally like. There are other brands that are likely fine too; I just know these better.

* Klean Canteen - A key pioneer in offering stainless steel bottles. Highly committed. Now offers stainless steel food storage containers and more. Includes 18/8 food-grade stainless steel (means more pure/higher quality) and silicone lids on food storage containers.
https://www.kleankanteen.com/collections/all

* U-Konserve - I was so happy to find their stainless steel storage containers with food-grade silicone lids. I love the company's transparency in how its products meet "better" criteria, and its strong commitment to that. It's also a B corporation, which is a structure for companies that pursue not just profit, but also purpose (www.bcorporation.net/about-b-corps). I prefer its silicone lids over the plastic. (The plastic is LDPE #4 plastic, which is not as good as #5. It might be acceptable for some people's needs. I just love the silicone!)
https://ukonserve.com (then click on the Shop drop-down menu to see the categories).
https://ukonserve.com/pages/product-information

LOCAL STORES (Sebastopol and Santa Rosa CA)
Buy from local stores! Support them in continuing to be available for us, and connect with others in our community.
Please let me know if you have any suggested additions, updates, or corrections to this information.
I will keep adding to this page as appropriate.

Notes:
* This is a selection of stores in our area that I know have better containers, especially those that are more difficult to find.
* Not everything at these stores will meet the criteria in the article. So evaluate the specific options you're considering.
* Stock can change at these stores. I'm just noting what I found at this time. So call first if you want to check before going over there.
* Also store policies can change, so check any details that are important to you.

* Sebastopol Hardware, Sebastopol
Go to Housewares.
- Glass storage -- This store has the best glassware storage selection I've found yet in our immediate area. This includes lots of Mason canning jar sizes and styles, from 4 oz to half gallons, sold individually and by the case. In addition to the options at the front of the Housewares section, there are more down the next aisle to the right, towards the end. This includes bottles for oil and vinegar and beverages, glass and metal snap jars, spice jars, and much more.
- Alternative Mason jar tops -- They also have a good selection of alternative Mason jar tops. This includes Tough Top (white or pastel, wide or regular); Kefir Cap and Kombucha Lid (BPA free and phalate free); and Pickle Pipe (ferment any vegetable, food safe and BPA-free silicone).
- Glass food containers -- These are in the last aisle to the right in Housewares. Again, read and look at the containers carefully, including the lids. For instance, the stainless steel Thermos looks like it's all stainless steel. But inside the lid is plastic. But it is #5 plastic, which is the best option in plastics. Just so you can decide if that's ok with you. (I personally would try to find one without plastic, but would maybe have this as a backup plan.) Also, the glass Pyrex, Simple Store (red top) is glass and the lid is #4 LDPE. This isn't as good as #5, and I wouldn't choose it, but some people might be ok with it. I'm not clear from the packaging if it's BPA-free, or if that just refers to the glass. The glass Pyrex Snap Ware also says BPA-free, but again do they mean just the glass or also the lid? There's no code on the lid.
- Silicone -- In this last aisle, you can also find a variety of Stashers, which is a reusable silicone replacement for plastic bags. They also have a variety of silicone plastic wrap replacements, such as stretch bowl covers and flower-style suction lids. (More of these are on the second back end-cap of this section.)
- Stainless steel -- They don't currently carry any stainless steel containers or bottles. (I told them about U-Konserve!)
https://www.SebastopolHardware.com

* Community Market, Sebastopol
There's a handy section to the right of the deli.
- Glass -- A few options of Mason jars, and a few specialty lids, including the Tough Top (BPA free - sip/pour/store, in pantry or on the go). Glass containers with wire closures.
- Silicone -- Stashers, reusable zip lock storage
- Stainless steel -- To-go Ware food carrier, BPA free, oven safe. Two options: (1) Three tiers, hot or cold foods, stylish doggie bag, self-latching. (2) Snack attack, two tiers.
Note: Their bulk section is open!
https://www.cmnaturalfoods.com

* Fiesta (Pacific Market), Sebastopol
* Various HydroFlax containers, back end of Aisle 5
https://www.pacificmkt.com

* Rosemary's Garden
Look on the left wall when you first walk in.
- Glass -- Screw top jars, usually hard plastic top, 1 oz to half gallon. Spray bottles. Also various other sizes, mostly smaller, spice, mini Mason.
https://www.rosemarysgarden.com

* Whole Foods, Sebastopol
- Silicone -- Stashers, reusable zip lock storage (back left of store, near the freezers)
- Hard plastic food storage -- Preserve brand, #5 plastic (BPA free - recycled - can see use for food on the go) (in the food wrap aisle)
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/sebastopol

* Olivers Market, Stony Point, Santa Rosa
- Stainless steel -- Good selection of stainless steel bottles, cups, and insulated food jars. Variety of sizes, colors, designs. Mostly HydroFlash, with some lid options. Some Klean Kanteen. (At the end of aisle 7.)
- Glass bottles -- Blue glass tincture and spray bottles are in the Wellness section, on an end cap. Various glass food storage jars are at an end cap in the back of aisle 3.
Note: Their bulk section is open!
https://www.oliversmarket.com

* Sports Basement, Santa Rosa
- Stainless steel -- Surprisingly, this has the best selection of U-Konserve products that I've found in this immediate area. Some are at the store; others can be ordered at the store and returned there. I like their thorough and helpful descriptions.
- Silicone -- Stashers, reusable zip lock storage
https://www.sportsbasement.com

* Target, Santa Rosa
- Stainless steel - Klean Kanteen -- https://www.target.com/b/klean-kanteen/-/N-bujnq
- Stainless steel - U-Konserve -- https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=u-konserve
Note: The website is a handy way to see what options they have in general. You can narrow your search down to what's at your local store by choosing "Buy it at the store." Mail order from here is also convenient, because, if you don't like it, you can return it to the store.
https://www.target.com

* REI, Santa Rosa
- Stainless steel - Kleen Kanteen -- Various stainless steel bottles, separate caps, insulated food storage. https://www.rei.com/b/klean-kanteen/c/all
- Stainless steel -- They carry lots of other stainless steel items. https://www.rei.com/search?q=stainless+steel
Note: The website is a handy way to see what options they have in general. You can narrow your search down to what's at your local store by choosing "Buy it at the store." Mail order from here is also convenient, because, if you don't like it, you can return it to the store.
https://www.rei.com

* Community Market, Santa Rosa
They have some assorted options in wellness (window side, both sides of aisle) and a few other spots in the store.
- Glass -- A few options of Mason jars, and Tough Tops that fit on top (BPA free - sip/pour/store, in pantry or on the go). A 1 ounce cream jar, 1 ounce glass dropper bottles, 2 and 4 ounce spray bottles. Glass pans.
- Stainless steel -- 1 and 2 ounce round metal tin. To-go Ware food carrier, BPA free, oven safe. (Two options: (1) Three tiers, hot or cold foods, stylish doggie bag, self-latching. (2) Snack attack, two tiers.)
Note: Bulk body care coming soon.
https://www.cmnaturalfoods.com

* Sur La Table, Santa Rosa
They have some options. Usually fancier/more expensive. Including various glass jars plus ceramic storage canisters, silicone Stasher bags, stainless steel food containers, for home or on the go.
https://www.surlatable.com

* For other STEP and Patricia Dines articles on this topic, see www.healthyworld.org/STEPIndex#Plastics.

* For more information about STEP (the Sebastopol Toxics Education Program), click here.

* For more information about organics and other alternatives to toxics, see our page Toxics and Alternatives Resources Page.

* For information about Sonoma County and area toxics, organics, and environmental and political information and action, see our page Sonoma County Resources Page.

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