Gift in a paper cup at Coffee to go

Coffee cups for coffee to go may contain plasticizers and other hazardous chemicals

07/01/2014

For many professionals, coffee to go is an integral part of the morning on the way to work. But only a few know that the paper cups with plastic lids, in which the caffeine kick is served, may contain hazardous substances such as plasticizers or flame retardants. The online edition of the newspaper „The world“ talked to environmental scientist Jane Muncke, who runs a food safety foundation in Zurich, about possible dangers.

Beware of poison in the paper cup
According to Muncke, the perfluorinated polymers in the coating of the cardboard are particularly questionable. A study by the Federal Environmental Agency from 2013 underpins this assessment. Thus, perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals are detectable in all environmental media and even in human blood and are associated with the development of certain diseases. The largest epidemiological study (involving 69,000 subjects), which examined the effects of perfluorinated octanoic acid, one of the best known representatives of perfluorinated compounds, on human health also came to this conclusion. The study was based on data on the health of the volunteers who lived near a West Virginia-based chemical plant that released perfluorinated octanoic acid into the air and into the Ohio River. Researchers have identified elevated levels of chemicals in the environment, especially for elevated cholesterol, chronic inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis), thyroid disease, testicular and renal cancer, and pre-eclampsia and elevated blood pressure during pregnancy.

Plastic can contain harmful substances
As Muncke explained further to the coffee to go cups, the plastic lids are usually made of polystyrene, which also contains substances that are hazardous to health. According to German health authorities, polystyrene is nonetheless physiologically safe and has been fully approved for food packaging. However, the environmental scientist knows that the researchers often disagree on the hazard assessment of the substances. The manufacturing process of plastic is complex, explained Muncke, „there are also unknown substances in each. "

The expert advises the concerned not to drink hot drinks with a certain fat content from the paper cups, as the chemicals dissolve particularly easily in heat and fat. The same applies to the printing ink, which could rub off on the inside of the cups if they were stacked in one another.

Use for coffee to go thermo cups as stainless steel for refilling
For the refill cups, which are available in many cafés, it makes sense to do without plastic or at least transparent plastic. In the latter, the plasticizer bisphenol A may be present, which has an effect on the hormone balance. In addition, studies show that Bisphenol A can cause fertility problems. In baby bottles, the plasticizer is therefore banned in Germany. „The residence time in the disposable cup also increases the migration. "Migration in this case means the migration of the chemical from the material into the coffee, so the experts advise using a thermo cup for refilling in stainless steel.