Are plastic food steamers safe?
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Dear EarthTalk: Are the plastic tiers on food steamers safe for food and for re-heating? Some indicate they are made from No. 7 plastic. I am very interested in buying a steamer, but not if they are unsafe. What’s the best way to go?
— Jim Lichlyter, Jr., Valley Center, Kansas
While you may never know for sure whether the plastic parts in a food steamer will contribute to health problems down the road, why gamble?
Plastic marked with a No. 7 recycling symbol — signifying mixed sources (polycarbonate) or otherwise hard-to-classify plastics (such as acrylonitrile styrene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) — is considered one of the riskiest in terms of chemical exposure. Polycarbonates are the most common types of plastic in items marked No. 7, and any of these three “feedstocks” just mentioned could contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical in widespread use since the 1930s to harden plastic.
Researchers have found that exposure to BPA, a known “endocrine disruptor” that can mimic the body’s natural hormones, can lead to neurological and reproductive problems. As a result, public health advocates recommend not using containers marked with No. 7 for storing, heating or serving food/drinks so as to minimize the amount of BPA in our bloodstreams. Keeping BPA out of our bodies is an uphill battle: A recent study found that 96 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. have at least trace amounts of BPA in their systems already (and probably the rest of us do as well).
Source: PennLive.com
BEST OF ROCHESTER 2011: Critics' picks
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Best fast-food trend: gourmet food trucks
Food trucks have been trending nationally for a while now - Food Network has aired two seasons of "The Great Food Truck Race," a reality show devoted to them. Now it seems like Rochester is starting to get hip to the benefits of mobile kitchens. The Taco Kitchen had a too-brief run last year, and the The Gourmet Waffler seems to have gone into hibernation in recent months. But two new additions to the scene seem to be gaining traction.
Le Petit Poutine, which serves the Canadian comfort food in its title (French fries and cheese curds doused in gravy), made many fans at City Newspaper's South Wedge-ucation event in September, running out of supplies not once but twice, with massive lines waiting patiently for the warm, salty goodness served in those adorable brown take-out boxes. Meanwhile, Snow Daze got its start this summer, serving organic icy creations at festivals and markets out of a renovated 1964 Shasta camper trailer. It looks to be doing a different kind of business during the colder months as Holesome Donuts, serving gourmet hot chocolates and multi-grain donuts with spiced sugars.
Source: Rochester City Newspaper