Dioxin Doubletalk
RUMOR
Freezing plastic water bottles releases dioxins into water.
STATUS
Busted!
ORIGINS
In this example, multiple e-mail hoaxes have been combined into one, illustrating that an Internet hoax can propagate by means as simple as “cut and paste.” To prolong the life a previously debunked prank, a new introduction was added to an earlier e-mail on dioxins in the microwave. If you compare the two, you can see they are virtually identical.
BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR:
DIOXINS Carcinogens cause cancer. Especially breast cancer. Don't freeze your plastic water bottles with water as this also releases dioxins in the plastic.
Dr. Edward Fujimoto from Castle Hospital was on a TV program explaining this health hazard. He is the manager of the Wellness Program at the hospital. He was talking about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat and plastics releases dioxins into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Dioxins are carcinogens and highly toxic to the cells of our bodies.
Instead, he recommends using glass, Corning Ware, or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results without the dioxins. So such things as TV dinners, weight watchers dinners, lean cuisine dinners, instant ramen cup of noodles, and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. Just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc., He said we might remember when some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The claim that plastic water bottles will release dioxins when frozen is entirely unfounded. So is the claim that plastic food wraps and containers can release dioxins in the microwave oven.
The vast majority of plastics used in food wraps, packaging containers and beverage bottles do not contain the chemical constituents that form dioxins. In addition, dioxins are a family of compounds that are produced by combustion at high temperatures. They can only be formed during combustion at temperatures typically above 700 degrees Fahrenheit; they cannot be formed at room temperature or in freezing temperatures.
According to FDA, “ With regard to dioxins, we have seen no evidence that plastic containers or films contain dioxins and know of no reason why they would.”
Don’t be fooled by fake IDs. To sound more believable, versions of this rumor falsely identify a health authority, such as Johns Hopkins University or Walter Reed Medical Center, as the source of the misinformation. Some versions even go so far as to include a person’s name and affiliation to give the appearance that a particular individual was the original sender.
Tip: Always remember to verify the source before you forward an e-mail scare.
MORE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
Plastics and the Microwave
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Consumer Magazine (November-December 2002)
Plastics in the Microwave
Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC)
Microwaving Foods and Dioxin Formation
Christina Stark, M.S., R.D., Cornell Cooperative Extension
(Must be registered member of Cornell Nutrition Works website. Registration is free.)
More on Plastics in the Microwave
Christina Stark, M.S., R.D., Cornell Cooperative Extension
(Must be registered member of Cornell Nutrition Works website. Registration is free.)
Dioxin in Containers
Joe Schwarcz, Ph.D., Director, McGill University’s Office of Science and Society
OTHER MYTHBUSTING WEBSITES
BottleRoyale
Snopes.com
TruthOrFiction.com
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