Food Containers

Food Containers

From Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

May 28, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the safety of storing food in plastic containers and explores alternatives like glass and metal.

Is it ok to store food in plastic containers? That's the question put by listener Joe Tattersall in this, the last episode in the current series of 'Sliced Bread'. Joe's noticed scuffs and abrasions on his reusable plastic containers and is concerned about whether that increases the risk of 'chemical leaching' into his food, or ingesting microplastics. He's keen to know if alternatives like glass, silicon, or metal containers could better for our health, as well as for the planet. And what about putting them in the microwave to heat food, using them to freeze food after batch-cooking, or putting them in the dishwasher to clean? To find out more, presenter Greg Foot is joined by Dr Stephanie Wright, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Toxicology at Imperial College London; and Jane Muncke, Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer at the Food Packaging Forum. We're taking a break to prepare another batch of Sliced Bread but we're as hungry as ever for your suggestions of wonder products to investigate. Please do send your ideas to us either on email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807. RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT

People in this episode

Host: Greg Foot

Guests: Dr Stephanie Wright, Jane Muncke

Topics covered

  • food storage
  • plastic containers
  • chemical leaching
  • microplastics
  • health
  • environment

Keywords

  • food containers
  • plastic
  • health risks
  • environmental impact
  • microwave
  • dishwasher
  • freezing food

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Imperial College London, Food Packaging Forum

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