Americans have been using plastic containers and lids to store, save, and transport food for decades. In the 1948, an American plastics company called Tupperware held its first ever, “Tupperware party.” Since then, millions of bowls, measuring cups, and storage containers bearing the Tupperware label have been sold and used.
Though other companies have tried to produce similar products, there’s a good chance you’ve stuck to your Tupperware. From their durability to their color coordinating ease of use, it’s easy to understand why so many people love and hang on to their Tupperware.
But recently an article circulated on social media about the potential toxicity of Tupperware from the 1970s. It seems that along with that durability comes the potential for heavy metal toxicity.
Using XRF testing (a scientific method used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission), a blogger and independent consumer goods safety advocate, Tamara Rubin, tested an assortment of Tupperware, including pieces from the 1970s.
Here’s what she found in the vintage “Daffodil Yellow” measuring cups:
- Lead (Pb): 2,103 +/- 41 ppm
- Arsenic (As): 250 +/- 28 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): 735 +/- 68 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 463 +/- 18 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 20 +/- 8 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 51 +/- 19 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 239 +/- 155 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 10,100 +/- 400 ppm
According to Rubin, the amount of lead considered toxic in any newly manufactured item intended for use by children is anything higher than 90ppm.
It’s not that Tupperware has intended to poison anyone. Metal leach testing was not required when these Tupperware pieces were manufactured. In addition, wear and deterioration over the course of 40 or more years can play a role in the leaching of toxins, especially if these items were used in the microwave, freezer, and dishwasher.
Rubin’s advice, get rid of your vintage Tupperware. Or, at a minimum, don’t use it for food. Glass food storage containers are the safest, least toxic choice for heating and storing food. If you’re curious: Here’s a complete list of every piece of Tupperware Rubin has tested to date.
It’s not that one or two uses of a bowl leaching lead will kill you. But, metal toxicity is about the build up in your system after years (or decades) of repeated exposure to various metals and it can have serious consequences. Concentrations of metals like mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and lead can cause your body a lot of harm.
Some heavy metal poisoning happens as a result of industrial exposure. But, most of our exposure to metals is simply a result of air or water pollution, trace amounts in our foods and medicines, old dental fillings, and our exposure to metals that leach from our cookware and, as previously discussed, our food storage containers.
Symptoms of heavy metal toxicity can include headaches, confusion, fatigue, weakness or tiredness, muscle and joint aches and pains, and digestion issues.
If you know you’ve been exposed to these toxins, there is a safe and natural way for you to help your body get rid of them.
ProBLEN’s Metal Detox is a homeopathic, easy-to-use, spray that can help you fight the symptoms of metals exposure. In fact, using ProBLEN’s Metals Detox can help you feel better, sleep better, improve your mood, and fix and digestion disturbances.
Throw that old Tupperware away, and then grab your bottles of ProBLEN Metal Detox here so you can start on a new path to improved health.
