i use plastic tubs with screw top lids for storing all our spices (in a dark cupboard) and i also use plastic containers to store home made spice pastes and keep them in the fridge. is it acceptable and safe to use plastic storage containers? lots of people, especially health gurus, talk about the dangers of using plastic for anything and recommend using glass.

thanks, belle.

I use Glass and Plastic containers for storing in cupboards, storing in the fridge and use plastic in the freezer as well...

If you think about it, things like tomato ketchup/brown sauce/Mayo/Salad cream come in plastic and glass bottles... I'm sure we would have heard something before now if it was a problem

Steve

I also use plastic bowls and covering plates for storing food in fridge, as the glass ones are just too heavy.

I think where you keep the spices is more important than what you keep them in, i.e. in a cool place (not right next to the oven) and out of sunlight in airtight containers.

Glass, metal (like Indian spice boxes) and food-quality plastic should all be fine (the scares seems to centre around PVC and 'styrofoam' and then around hot fluids/foods.)

If you were very concerned look at the little marks on the tubs, 'for food use,' a wineglass & fork symbol, and the following codes/symbols also indicate no known health hazards: Code (1) PET/PETE, (2) HDPE, (4) LDPE and (5) PP.

Code (3) PVC and (6) PS indicate caution. Of course no symbol doesn't mean the container isn't safe - a lot of this is newish EEC legislation.

Perhaps some vigalence is due when storing pastes (due to the oil content) as you would be careful as to what containers you microwaved.

We have no control of how the spices are imported to the UK - interesting some of the old warehouses (now converted into luxury appartments) on the spice wharfs still have a whiff of clnnamon and cloves about them, a century after they were used in the spice trade!

While in USA recently, I noticed that many people are switching over to glass containers to keep food, because of some health scare. Never got time to find out what exactly it was all about!

I can only think that any scare is about plasticizers. These are chemicals added to plastics to make them more pliable. The commonest plastic to have plasticizers is pvc. The plasticizer itself are not nice chemicals, some are used as insect repellants. The plasticizers can be leached into any fluid (oil and water)and are not readily broken down in the body. Polyethylene (polythene) and polypropylene do not contain plasticisers as a rule.

I would think the criterion upon which one judges suitability for long term storage of spices is how good the seal is.