Food Safety-POUCH container- safe?

[oscar111]

These new plastic pouches containing suppers, like a stew... to be microwaved two minutes.. are they really safe?

I have some plastic trays of stew, covered with clear plastic , which say they are ok for storing at room temperature. Zoneperfect is the brand, from Ross/Abbot labs.

Also, are they safe to eat without that microwaving? I dont have cooking facilities on this trip. Few travellers do, unless one is staying at a ritzy hotel for Republican bankers LOL.

I am not a republican banker, in case you ever wondered about that LOL.

your pal,
oscar

[Warren DeMontague]

1. In my experience, as long as the pouch isn't punctured or leaking

they're pefectly fine. Tasty, too.

Edit: same level of safety as food that comes in a can, I'd say.

[oscar111]

2. Thanks! anyone else want to commment? Anyone? nt

zzzzz

[this_side_up]

3. plasticizers and phthlates

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=plasticizers&btnG=Google+Search

[Warren DeMontague]

4. You want to avoid phthlates, you're gonna need to skip more than

just the food in the pouch. They're everywhere.

[MrMonk]

5. There are a number of plastic packages

that are touted as being safe for microwaving food. I can't vouch for whether your package is one of them. However, as another poster has said, phthalates and plasticizers are everywhere. I wouldn't worry about the extra body burden unless I going to live off of them.

[oscar111]

6. BACTERIA are my concern: anyone know the failure rate for these

newfangled plastic containers? .. aka pouches. Shelf-storable type, room temperature storage is what the package recommends for them.. no fridge needed when unopened. Odd, i think.

I read one brief mention about tin cans getting "MICROPUNCTURES"... anyone know the story on that? And, couldnt such micropunctures be even more a hazard with these new plastic pouches?

thanks to all repliers above.. and any who can add to this important thread!!

Oscar

[Warpy]

7. Micropunctures in tin cans

usually occur at the seam or when the can is dented. It's why canned goods generally have a shelf life of about a year and why if you find one that looks intact but has a bulge in the top, you need to toss it ASAP without opening it. The problem is that what is microscopic to us can look like an open barn door to bacteria.

As for pouches, I'm not sure about the micropuncture problem. I'd think, since they're generally made of mylar, that it isn't as big a problem as it is with cans. However, it's safer to cook the contents thoroughly unless they smell awful and you've wisely discarded them.