The Safety of Plastic Food Wraps

• Plastic food wraps are used safely by millions of people every day to help protect foods against spoilage and contamination.

• Some food wraps contain adipates, a kind of plastic softener that allows plastic wrap to cling to bowls to help keep food fresh and safe.

• One of these adipates, called DEHA, has been the subject of inaccurate media reports recently. These stories ignored decades of safety studies showing that DEHA is safe in food wrap.

• The U.S Food and Drug Administration, which ensures the safety of food packaging, carefully reviews studies on all substances before allowing their use in food packaging. Based on extensive research, the Food and Drug Administration permits the use of DEHA in packaging for all types of food.

• Based on U.S. Department of Agriculture figures for average consumption, the exposure to DEHA is below levels of concern. A Consumer's Union study alleged high exposures, but even assuming that the analysis was accurate, a 150-pound adult would need to eat more than 1,000 pounds of cheese in a single day to reach the observable effect level found in lab animal testing.

• On its Internet website, Georgetown University's Center for Food and Nutrition Policy (CFNP) recently wrote, "We at CFNP view the benefits of using plastic wrap to protect food safety and quality on the shelf to far outweigh the imagined risks ...." (www.ceresnet.org)

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