Today, the people who live in cities increasingly rely with instant food. Foods
that can be stored in a relatively long and can be directly consumed at
any time, considered as an efficient and effective food. To produce this kind of food, used packaging, such as plastics, cans, Styrofoam, aluminum foil, or paper.
Most people see nothing more than food packaging wrappers and 'protective' foods. In fact, most do not. Food packaging also has the function of health, preservation, convenience, uniformity, promotions, and information. There are so many materials used as packaging in the food, the packaging in direct contact with food. The problem is not all this material is safe for foods that are packed. It is also dangerous to humans who eat the food in the container. So, let us recognize some of the following types of packaging advantages and disadvantages.
Packaging materials that one is easily obtained and very flexible to use. In addition to food packaging materials, plastic is often used as paper coatings.
Various types of plastic itself. There Polyethylene, Polypropylen, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and Vinylidene Chloride Resin. Each type of plastic has a different hazard levels, depending on the plastic material and its constituent chemicals.
In general, plastics are composed of long polymer chains and units called monomers smaller. When food is wrapped in plastic, these monomers can migrate into food and then move on to the body of people who eat them. Chemicals
that have been entered into the body is not soluble in water so it can
not be thrown out, either through urine or stool (feces).
Buildup of harmful chemicals from the plastic in the body can trigger cancer. A study in Japan indicates that in addition to causing cancer, polysterene plastic type effect on the central nervous system.
Plastics
are relatively safer to use for food is a type of polyethylene that
looks clear and Polypropylen a softer and slightly thicker. Polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) is usually used for wrapping candy, rice paper coating,
and covering materials for very thin and transparent.
If the material used to package the heat, this material will spread dioxin into the human body. Dioxins are fat soluble, so it accumulates in the food a relatively high fat content. The
content of dioxin spread (97.5%) into the food product in a sequence of
concentration, ie meat, dairy products, dairy, poultry, pork, fish, and
eggs.
Displacement of plastic monomers into food triggered by several things, namely heat, acids, and fats. The higher the temperature of the food that is inserted into the plastic, the more quickly this migration occurs. Especially when the food is a liquid, such as meatballs, chicken noodle, soup, and vegetables berkuah. When hot food is put into plastic, we can see the plastic becomes weak and thin. This is a sign of breaking the bonds of monomers and migrate to food.