Safe Food Storage: Which Is Better– Glass Food Storage or Plastic Food Containers?

 You likely have storage containers in your cupboard for safe food storage. This is especially true if you prepare your meals in advance or save leftovers after a big meal. I have an entire cabinet full of storage containers for safe food storage! 

Storing your food properly is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from food poisoning. Food poisoning comes from harmful bacteria that grow on food that is not stored properly. One of the best ways to prevent this is to refrigerate or freeze food as soon as possible. Choosing containers with tight-fitting lids is ideal.

Did you know the type of food containers you use is also important? Most people choose whatever is most convenient. Convenience helps, but there is more to it than that. In fact, the type of food container you use can determine whether or not it’s safe food storage. Today I’m going to talk with you about the difference between plastic and glass containers. In addition, you’ll learn why you should always use glass food containers for safe food storage. 

Safe Food Storage

The purpose of food storage containers is to safely preserve food, organize kitchen space, and make cooking easier. However, the benefits of safe food storage go well beyond convenience. Some of the benefits of safe food storage containers include: 

• Keep food clean, fresh, and tasty – some food comes in containers that let in the air or aren’t easy to store in the fridge or in your pantry (I’m looking at you, bags of spinach). Putting that food into safe food storage containers helps keep things organized and the food fresh!
• Protect the nutrient levels in food – we already know that the nutrient levels in our foods are declining every year. Proper food storage helps preserve the nutrition available. 
• Help avoid food waste – when food spoils we tend to throw it out. If we can store it properly we avoid that excessive waste. 

Without the proper safe food storage, bacteria or toxins can grow on food. This can lead to food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning include: 

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Fever

Believe it or not, small amounts of bacteria are already present in most of your food. Bacteria get into our food during processing, packaging, or when it is grown. (1) Even organic foods can have bacteria on it. (2)

The good news is that simply washing your food can clean off most bacteria. Bacteria on your food goes into hibernation when put in the refrigerator or freezer. It often stays there until it is either washed off or dies when cooked properly. 

What temperature should your refrigerator and freezer be for safe food storage? Your refrigerator should be set to 39°F or below. For the freezer, it’s 0°F or below. (3) Now, let’s talk about high-risk foods and how to properly cook them.

High-Risk Foods

I always recommend a diet full of organic fruits, vegetables, and meats. However, these foods are not immune to bacteria. They also don’t contain the toxic ingredients meant to keep them “fresher, longer”. Therefore, proper cooking and storing are essential to keeping them safe to eat.  Eggs, prepared salads, and meat are high-risk foods. Even dairy substitutes are at risk for bacteria that can lead to food poisoning.  

The best way to kill bacteria in food is to cook it at its safe temperature range. Invest in a good food thermometer to ensure your food cooks all the way through. The CDC recommends the following temperature guidelines for food safety: (4)

• Poultry: 165°F
• Whole cuts of meat: 145°F
• Ground meat: 160°F
• Fresh ham: 145°F
• Fish: 145°F
• Leftovers or casseroles: 165°F

Now you know which foods are high-risk foods and what safe temperatures are for cooking and safe food storage. Next, let’s discuss the differences between plastic and glass containers for safe food storage. 

Plastic Food Containers

Let’s begin by talking about plastic food containers. Plastic food containers are the most convenient and appear to be the most affordable way to store food. However, they come with considerable drawbacks. 

For starters, you cannot put plastic food containers in the freezer. The freezing temperatures are detrimental to plastic and can break it down. Plastic food containers for safe food storage also contain toxins like phthalates and Bisphenol A (BPA). These can imitate estrogen and other hormones in the body. In addition to these, there are several other reasons plastic food containers are bad for both your health and the planet. Let’s take a deeper dive into why I caution against plastic food containers.

Not Environmentally Friendly

Did you know society as a whole purchases one million plastic bottles every minute? Or that 91% of those are not recycled? This is very unfortunate, especially since they’re made from materials that are easy to recycle. (5) In addition, it takes more than 17 million barrels of oil to produce plastic bottles each year! (6) That’s not even adding in the waste from plastic food containers. We tend to see plastic as disposable and part with it easily. This mentality adds to our landfills and pollutes our environment.

Plastic Contains Toxins 

I mentioned phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) earlier. These toxins are everywhere! In fact, these are the primary toxins in your plastic food containers. That said, not all plastic food containers contain BPA. Phthalates can cause reproductive issues in men, as well as development problems in children. (7)

Plastic products have resin identification codes (RIC). This helps with recycling. It also indicates if they contain BPA. These codes are on the bottom of your plastic food storage containers. Plastics with an RIC of 1, 2, 4, and 5 are the safest. Plastics with an RIC of 3, 6, or 7 may contain some concentration of bisphenol A (BPA). Avoid these at all costs.

Plastic Food Containers Can’t Store Frozen Food

Freezer temperatures can cause plastics to deteriorate. This leaches phthalates and BPA into your food, especially during defrosting. This means they could enter your body when you eat them. This is why you should never freeze your food in any plastic.

Plastic Stains Easily

Do you ever notice how some foods seem to stain your place containers? Plastic has a porous surface, and certain foods and sauces can become trapped in these pores. Depending on the food, this can leave stains in the container. The likelihood of staining increases if you heat the plastic up in a microwave. This is because heat expands the plastic’s pores, allowing the sauce to get trapped in them. While this may not be a big deal to some, the unsightly appearance and smell may be a turn-off.

Plastic Is Unsafe to Heat

If you put a plastic container in the microwave it probably won’t melt. However, it does open up the pores. Again, this allows chemicals to leach into your food. Plastic food containers marked “microwave safe” only means the container won’t melt. It does not mean it’s actually “safe” to do. On another note, you should never put plastic containers in an oven to heat food. The intense heat will very likely melt your plastic containers!

Glass Food Containers

Now let’s discuss glass food containers for safe food storage. Glass is a sturdy material that does not release chemicals or toxins into food. The downside is that glass food containers can be more expensive. They can also be heavier and take up more space. Despite this, there are many benefits of using glass. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest benefits of glass food storage containers. 

Glass Containers are Easy to Clean

Glass has a non-porous surface, which makes it easier to clean. Since it doesn’t have pores like plastic, food particles can’t get stuck in them. This prevents unwanted bacteria. Glass also doesn’t deteriorate over time and can survive hundreds of cleanings in the dishwasher. 

Glass Can Store in the Freezer

Freezing temperatures do not damage glass food storage containers the way they do plastic. This makes them a superior choice for storing frozen food. While glass can handle freezing and hot temperatures, it’s not a great conductor of heat. If you put hot glass into cold water, or vice versa, the surface will contract. This can cause the glass to break. That's why it’s important to heat or cool the glass slowly. When moving food from the freezer, I recommend leaving the container on the counter for a short time. This allows it to cool down or heat up more slowly, preserving the glass's integrity.

Glass Containers are Safe for Heating

Despite not being a great conductor of heat, glass is generally safe to put in the oven and microwave. Most makers of glass food containers such as Pyrex mark their products safe for use in the oven which means the glass can withstand the heat and doesn’t have any coatings that would make it unsafe. 

Glass Food Containers Are Toxin Free

I recommend everyone use glass food storage containers. Glass containers don’t contain phthalates or BPA, which means they’re free of toxins. They also won’t add to your body’s toxic burden because nothing leaches out of glass into your food.

Which is Better For Safe Food Storage?

In today’s world, you have to be wary of heavy metals, plastics, mold, and synthetic chemicals. These place a heavy toxic burden on our bodies. Using glass food storage containers is one way to reduce this load. That’s why I recommend using glass containers for safe food storage over plastic ones.

You might think you aren’t exposed to many toxins. After all, you live a very “clean” lifestyle. The sad reality is that thousands of toxins bombard you every day. This is true even if you don’t live in a polluted area or work in an industrial job. 

The effects of toxins on our bodies are complex. There are thousands of chemicals out there, and we’re only beginning to understand how they work on the body. Scientists are also beginning to understand how they work in conjunction with one another. What we do know is that a heavy toxic burden puts you at greater risk for developing chronic illness. This is especially true of autoimmune diseases. 

If all this seems overwhelming don’t worry. Yes, you will always have toxins in your environment. However, you can take steps to lighten your toxic burden.