I received a question from Jackie regarding an alternative to wrapping her food in plastic to store in the freezer. Funny enough I was wondering how to eliminate wrapping meat that I buy to freeze in plastic wrap, then popping them into a freezer bag. I’m no longer comfortable with having my food in close contact with plastic and I’ve realized I have a serious addiction to plastic baggies that I’m trying to break. They are just wayyy too handy to use. BUT – after googling Pyrex glass food containers, I’ve found my solution to both of these problems. We know that glass baby bottles have been recommended rather than plastic for babies and toddlers, well it’s back-to-basics with all food storage. Pyrex is a name that has been around forever and they are very cost effective. I find it shocking how expensive Tupperware is and they don’t code their products with a plastic recycling code. Really, it’s scary to know what kind of plastic they use…and it costs a fortune!
With food storage, Pyrex products can go into the refrigerator, freezer, microwave, or oven. They are also dishwasher and microwave safe. Unlike the plastics we are so suspicious about, they won’t absorb food flavors, odors, or stains…including tomato-based sauces. I always wondered after storing left-overs with tomato sauce, why my plastic was stained from sauce. Well now I know the cheap plastic was probably leaching BPA into my food. Lovely.
Pyrex is also made in America. If you’ve purged your kitchen of all plastic containers, it’s time to start fresh with a quality product..and won’t it be nice to have lids that match the container? <smile>
If you divide up bulk food to freeze from Costco, etc., this 6 piece set looks great for larger items.
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May 30th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Are you concerned that these have plastic lids? I checked with Pyrex and the lids are made with plastic number 7. Are these any options for food storage without any plastic 7?
May 30th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Hi there,
Thanks for the post! I agree, eliminating plastic in your kitchen is the best way to go. I figured the plastic lids on the pyrex were ok for my needs, as I was looking to replace my plastic options when freezing food. Here are some more options that are all non- plastic:
Anchor Hocking Glass Refriderator Storage – http://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Hocking-85694S-Storage-Container/dp/B000LNW3OC/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1212179527&sr=1-30
Corning Ware – http://www.corningware.com/
Thermos stainess steel food jars, although very expensive are a great option for a lunch bag – http://www.thermos.com/Product_detail.aspx?CatCode=SCHO&SubcategoryID=32&ProductID=305
I hope these ideas help!
May 30th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Hi again,
I’m double checking with Pyrex, but I’m sure before I wrote this article I saw the storage sets being advertised as BPA free. I’m double checking this information and will post again.
Great topic hey? So many things to double check these days on the plastics front.
May 30th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Here is the response from Pyrex regarding their plastic lids. Just to summarize…the are BPA free. tx Suzanne
Thank you for contacting World Kitchen, LLC
Our PYREX brand lids are a composite of ingredients that, in the amounts
included in the lids, meet all FDA requirements for food contact
materials. In addition, our PYREX lids meet the requirements of
California’s Proposition 65 relating to heavy metals release. We are
sorry that we cannot provide you the exact ingredients in our lids. The
actual list of those ingredients is proprietary to World Kitchen and its
supplier. However, our supplier has confirmed that these covers do not
contain BPA. We hope this is helpful.
For further assistance, please contact our Consumer Care Center at
800-999-3436. Representatives are available from 8am to 6pm, EST, Monday
through Thursday and 8am to 5pm on Friday, and will be more than happy
to assist you.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:26 am
If Sandra says it has plastic #7 in the lids, then its not safe for food storage. If you search on internet, they say avoid plastics #3, #6 and #7. Since the query was specific to BPA, the company may be right when it says the lids dont have BPA.
I think I will follow a safer route and use all glass containers.
June 14th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Hi Amandeep,
Glass is always better for sure! I will post another article with all glass and bamboo food storage ideas. Thanks for the feedback.
S
July 25th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Hi Suzanne:
Looking to buy glass cups, I found a nice selection of Anchor Hocking at Zellers of all places! They are very reasonably priced and made in the US.
December 10th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I just want to clear up something about recycling code #7. Not all items coded with 7 are harmful. 7 is used as the catchall for anything that doesn’t fit into the other numbers. Additionally, polycarbonate, which is where BPA is often found being in use, falls under 7. However, if a manufacturer says that their #7 item does not contain BPA, phthalates or other harmful materials then it can be considered safe.
Also, I have started using glass storage containers and I am yet to find ones with plastic lids that are not made in China. So, I put a layer of wax or parchment paper between by food and the lid when I am going to use if for freezing and need to fill to the top to prevent freezer burn – just to be extra safe (even though I buy ones that all say that the plastic lids are safe and do not contain BPA.).
December 10th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Great comment Jessica – thank you for posting!
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:13 pm
agree re glass being best. Here’s a way to recycle glass containers. For years now i’ve been saving all my peanut butter glass jars w/ metal lids and using them for leftovers in fridge. they are widemouth and even stackable because uniform in size. i even use them for freezing food. Easy for berries or food with air space…be sure to leave lid off when freezing liquids or purees or glass may break…add lid after frozen. they take more space than square plastic freezer containers, but circulation between items in freezer is actually a good thing.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:38 am
re: glass food storage containers.
glass jars from condiments, jelly, fruit and vegetables are good for leftovers and don’t forget the ball and mason jars which also come with glass lids.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Don’t forget that the inside coating of metal lids to glass condiment/canning jars often have BPA.
As bad as BPA seems to be, ALL petroleum-based plastics leach toxic chemicals into food, air, and water. Guess what you’re breathing when you’re driving in your car- the outgassings of all the various plastics that make up the interior. And take a look around a given room in your house and try to count all the things made of plastic… Unless you completely thoroughly air out your house every day you’re breathing a soup of plastic toxins. Your water pipes are probably made of PVC, which is supposed to be the worst plastic. Even if you store your food in glass, it probably came in a plastic package so it already received some plastic chemicals. It is almost overwhelming if you really start to think about it!
Here is the most comprehensive overview of the problems with petroleum-based plastics in our world today that I’ve read:
Get Plastic Out of Your Diet
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Plasticizers/Out-Of-Diet-PG5nov03.htm
It was amazing to me to learn that the FDA actually classified plastic food containers as “indirect food additives” because it was a given that plastics would “migrate” into the food. Unfortunately, the FDA, EPA, and USDA are all run by lobbyists who have worked, and will work again, for the very corporations that they are supposed to be protecting our health from. So don’t expect help from them, and also just because the FDA says something is ‘within safe levels’ I would be very skeptical before believing it.
But back to plastics- my point is that this is such a far-reaching problem that merely trying to avoid BPA is not enough… Corporations love petroleum-based plastics because they are cheap to make, but at what cost to our health and environment? Not to mention the pollution and trash that this cheap throw-away mentality allows. What everyone needs to do is wake up and start demanding better solutions. Corporations can only get away with things like this if we keep shoveling money at them and buying their harmful junk products.
Anyway, here is another idea: Central Market here in Texas sells their organic lettuce, spinach, etc in plastic containers MADE FROM PLANTS, which are reusable and compostable. It occurred to me that if there were other sizes, this would be perfect for food storage. Unfortunately these are a little bigger than you’d want to use for say, half an onion, but would be very useful for many foods. I wrote them asking if they could come up with a line of food storage containers made of this biodegradable plastic. A good question though is what chemicals are involved and what processing is done to it. I hope to find out soon. But the fact that they can be composted and aren’t made from oil puts them way ahead of other plastics already.
We need to start trying to solve this problem! If enough people wrote these companies saying they would buy non-petroleum containers if they made them but will be looking elsewhere for alternatives, companies would start to realize that they’re losing out on a growing market of people who don’t want their toxic junk and would start offering better alternatives. Money talks, and it’s the only language the corporate world understands.
WE are the ones who have to start to change this messed up modern world!
January 21st, 2010 at 8:55 am
[...] on Pyrex! The comments in this blog post contain a letter from Pyrex (World Kitchen) stating that their lids do not contain BPA. So this is [...]
January 27th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I recently threw away lot of my old plastics from pantry and replaced them with snapware bpa free containers and rubber maid easy lids. I am using them to store only dry food like beans, lentils, spices, flours etc. All thos plastic is made with #5 and #4 plastics. I want to know if this is safe for dry foods.
Also, I am yet to find a good set for my left overs. Someone here suggested that Pyrex is the best and we can use wax paper between the food and the lid as the lid is plastic. Is it safe to use reynold’s wax paper. Does this have any chemicals in it. Please some one answer. Also, please suggest if there is any alternative foe left overs which does not plastic at all. Is corning ware set good for left overs.
Padma
February 9th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I’m wondering what the refrigerator itself is made of…
March 7th, 2010 at 1:55 am
This article might help you also:
http://mommyfootprint.com/alternatives-to-freezing-food-in-plastic/
Suzanne
May 24th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Last night on 60 Minutes they had a segment on plastics,which caused me to freak out, so today I was searching the internet for possible replacements to freeze food in. The 60 Minutes segment mentioned everything from toys and food containers to shower curtains, cosmetics, body lotions and carpet. Also, I started thinking about all the plastics in our landfills. Surely the BPA in that stuff is leaching out into our water supply, the ground we plant our gardens in, etc.
Unfortunately, scientist cannot agree as to whether it is actually harmful.
I’m convinced the FDA will approved almost anything (the road of least resistance). They don’t want to deal with corporate America giants. I guess they forget we are all using the same products.
I do have to say my Mom, who is 95, always canned with Mason jars using the metal lids and I’m still here (although BPA may not have been around then. Where do I find the glass lids????
I agree we do have to speak up and start doing something about this (among many other things)!
May 24th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
I’ve had lots of people ask about using glass jars to store or freeze food but don’t want to use the metal lids. I asked my friend Carolyn, owner of the Tickle Trunk for some ideas to get around this (she specializes in stainless steel products to store or freeze food) and mentioned using wax, parchment paper, or cheesecloth with a rubber band. This would eliminate your concerns with any toxins leeching from lids. Give it a try and please post back. Thanks! Suzanne
July 10th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
I have used Tupperware for years, and in the last three I switched to the ROCK N SERVE set for freezing and food storage including my spaghetti sauces! I now found out, it is BPA filled and #7.
(I have had medical issues with low estrogen levels in the past few years and wonder if that is connected?)
Now I have to go back to glass. Pyrex has always been best, and luckily, I didn’t throw it all out, being a packrat… Other brands have chipped, and I found glass in my dry pastas, so I use the Hard clear plastics for storing dry pasta. Is that bad, too? I know some #7 now are BPA free, but sadly, not mine. I have some purging to do in ALL my closets. I am frustrated and a bit frantic!!!