Surely we are no stranger to plastic products such as plastic cups, plastic boxes, plastic bowls... At the bottom of these products, manufacturers often print symbols to note and use instructions for user. Do you know what these symbols mean? If not, check out this article!
Triangle symbol with number inside
No. 1- PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
- Transparent plastic, can withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius and cold-resistant to -90 degrees Celsius for a short time (about 2 minutes), can be put in the refrigerator (both cooler and freezer).
- PET / PETE plastic is quite safe for health, often used to make bottles of shampoo, mouthwash, shower gel, ...
- Widely used in beverage industry such as making bottles: soft drinks, juices, spring water, mineral water,...
- When using PET plastic drinking water bottles every day, to ensure the safety of users' health store water at a temperature below 50 degrees Celsius, change the bottle up to once every 3 months.
- Do not put in the microwave.
No. 2- HDPE Plastic
- Used to make hard plastic bottles such as milk jugs, detergent bottles, cooking oil, toys and some plastic bags.
- Withstands temperature of 110 degrees Celsius, can be put in the microwave at low power (about 800 W).
- When reusing should be very careful, because this type of plastic is difficult to clean, the remaining substances are easy to become a breeding ground for bacteria.
No. 3 - PVC Nhựa
- This plastic is often used as raincoats, construction materials (such as water pipes, ...).
- Do not store food because it is easy to produce harmful substances.
- Do not put in microwave.
No. 4 - LDPE Nhựa Plastic
- This plastic is commonly used to produce instant noodle boxes, snack shells, food packaging,...
- Do not put these plastic utensils in the microwave oven to heat and cook because it is easy to melt, harmful to health.
No. 5 - PP (Polypropylene) Plastic
- Used to produce food containers, water bottles, outer shells of heaters,...
- This plastic safe for health and heat-resistant up to 167 degrees Celsius,so it can be used in microwave oven,dishwasher,refrigerator.
No. 6 - Plastic PS
- Commonly used to make Styrofoam boxes for fast food, dishes disposable, Styrofoam boxes for refrigeration,...
- Do not use PS plastic to hold hot food (over 70 degrees Celsius) because at high temperatures, the amount of Monostyrene (a harmful substance in PS plastic) is released harming to health.
- Plastic Do not use in the microwave.
Number 7 - Other
- Are the remaining types of plastic, but the most popular are PC and Tritan plastics:
+ PC plastic is often put into the production of water bottles, baby bottles, food containers,... There have been many controversial opinions that this plastic material is unsafe, causing cancer because it contains BPA.
However, "In 2014, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) released its latest report, confirming an exposure limit of 50 µg/kg (about 23 µg/lb) daily. , and concluded that BPA may be safe to the extent permitted". Therefore, now these plastic utensils are printed with the word BPA Free - which means safe, do not contain carcinogens.
+ Tritan plastic has transparency like glass, hard to break when dropped, ensuring health safety for users, often used as water containers, food containers, water cups,...
Note that for water bottles marked with plastic number 7, you should choose products that are BPA free or have a certificate from the Ministry of Health to ensure safety.
Some other symbols on plastic food containers
1. Safety material symbol
Among the symbols on plastic items that need to be known in life, the symbol for safe materials often appears quite commonly on many types of plastic utensils. It is depicted with a glass and a plate placed side by side.
When a plastic container has this symbol, it means that it is safe to store food and does not affect health.
Utensils often have this symbol such as boxes, trays, and plastic bottles, and they are mainly made of PP, HDPE and LDPE plastic.
2. Microwave symbol
The microwave symbol has a picture depicting a rectangular machine with three buttons representing the microwave oven that we still use every day at home.
The meaning of this symbol will represent the type of microwave safe material. This means that materials with this symbol are heat safe when used in the microwave.
You can see this symbol on items such as cups, plates, or plastic containers.
3. Frozen safety symbol
The image of a familiar snowflake will appear in this symbol. It represents the meaning that this material is safe to be frozen and can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer.
This symbol may appear on plastic food containers or plastic trays and jars used to make ice in the freezer compartment.
4. Maximum temperature symbol
The maximum temperature symbol is depicted by the image of four black flames above and the temperature parameter with two units of degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit below.
Its meaning is probably known to everyone because it is clearly shown through the symbol, which is the maximum temperature that the material can withstand.
This symbol will help
help you choose the right plastic for applications where good heat resistance is required.
5. The "BPA free" sign
This sign does not have a descriptive image but only the text that says FREE BPA. It means that the material is BPA free when used.
BPA is a dangerous toxin that is carcinogenic to humans and can be contained in some plastics.
With plastic items with this symbol, you will be assured that there is no BPA harmful to the body
6. Dishwasher symbol
Another symbol on plastic in familiar life. It is an image depicting this symbol as two plates placed on a tray with three spouting faucets above representing the dishwasher. What it means is that the material is dishwasher-safe.
Plastic items with this symbol will be used in the dishwasher without fear of decomposing harmful substances.
Some items with this symbol include cups, plates, and food containers.
If you are worried that there are many products of unknown origin on the market, please contact HUNUFA, we are proud to be a company producing disposable goods with clear origin, experienced consultants. experience, guaranteed to bring you a great experience.
Contact HUNUFA at:
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