Replacement of To-Go plastic dishes with pitfalls

The plastic cups for the coffee on the way are disappearing more and more. One trend is to focus on renewable raw materials and so bamboo fiber materials are often already used today to calm the “green conscience”. Stiftung Warentest has tested the cups with alarming results.

The German consumer organisation “Stiftung Warentest” recently revealed that this well-intentioned replacement also has its pitfalls, as it tested a total of twelve to-go bamboo cups - with alarming results. Seven products were rated "poor" because they emit unacceptably high levels of pollutants when filled with hot liquids. What many suppliers of bamboo tableware conceal when they advertise the environmental friendliness of this robust plant fibre is that the wood powder can only be pressed into the desired shape by mixing it with synthetic resins containing melamine or formaldehyde.

The melamine resin is inexpensive and easy to process, but has the disadvantage that it is attacked by heat or acids and the monomers diffuse from the vessel wall into the food.

Formaldehyde, melamine and its degradation product cyanuric acid are considered harmful to health.

We therefore recommend that you take the reusable mug made of stainless steel or porcelain with you for your coffee, which must also be rinsed and dried regularly to avoid microbiological risks.

The laboratories of the AGROLAB^GROUP offer residue analyses for the mentioned contaminants in food. Packaging materials are tested in our partner institute for their food suitability and absence of harmful substances.

Author: Frank Mörsberger