Are black takeaway spoons poisonous? Do you still dare to use them?

Editor: Gong Zixin

When you order takeout, do you use the disposable spoon in the cutlery bag? Have you ever paid attention to the color of the cutlery ?

Recently, #外取黑勺是最污的# has been on the hot search list

It once sparked heated discussions among netizens

“Black disposable spoons are made entirely from recycled waste plastics and contain all kinds of ingredients.”

"As soon as I opened the takeaway cutlery bag, I smelled a pungent smell of plastic"...

Can the black takeaway spoon be used?

Huangjia Laboratory conducted tests on this. They wholesaled 6 types of takeout tableware, found 3 laboratories, conducted potassium permanganate consumption tests, heavy metal tests, decolorization tests, 2 microbial tests, 5 migration tests of different substances, and material identification. They obtained the DSC melting curves of 6 types of plastic spoons, and consumed more than 1,100 plastic spoons. After 7 months of testing and research, they finally gave the answer.

First, regarding the "smell" problem when opening the cutlery package, the test results show that the "smell" is real, but it does not come from the plastic spoon, but from the disposable chopsticks in the package. In order to prevent corrosion and bleach, during the production process of disposable chopsticks, manufacturers will soak bamboo chopsticks with sulfites. After treatment, there will be sulfur dioxide residue in the chopsticks, and therefore they have a slightly pungent smell. As long as it is within the limit of the national standard, it is a compliant operation.

Regarding the question of whether the black spoon is hygienic, the researchers referred to the "National Food Safety Standard for Plastic Materials and Products for Food Contact" (GB 4806.7-2016) and the "National Food Safety Standard for Disinfected Tableware (Drinkware)" (GB 14934-2016), and added the test of coliform bacteria and salmonella. The integration of all the test results showed that they were within the national standard limit, and it can be said that they all passed the safety test. Therefore, the statement that "black takeaway spoons cannot be used" is not valid.

In fact, there is no necessary connection between the color of plastic and its safety . The coloring of plastic products is an important factor affecting the intrinsic and appearance quality of the products. Of course, it is not ruled out that there are informal plastic product processing companies in the market that use inferior waste plastics to make food packaging.

In terms of sensory perception, plastic products for food contact must maintain normal color, be free of impurities and odors, and after the migration test, the soaking liquid must not be turbid, deposited, or smelly. If the plastic products for food contact contain colorants, after the migration test, it should also be determined whether the soaking liquid is negative based on its color. Negative results meet the quality requirements. Therefore, if you encounter tableware with odor or discoloration, don't use it casually, no matter what color it is.

For consumers, the safety of plastic products for food is mainly determined by the labels on the plastic products . Different plastic product labels represent different raw materials, which means different characteristics and application ranges, and they cannot be mixed at will.

For example, PP is resistant to high temperatures and is stable to acids, alkalis, alcohol and oils. It is often used in plastic tableware and is most widely used in take-out tableware. PET is mostly used for beverage bottle packaging. Its material is relatively stable at room temperature, but harmful substances will migrate out when overheated food is contained. PE and PVC, which are commonly used for plastic wrap, will also release toxic substances after high temperatures... In other words, under high temperature conditions, transparent PE is not necessarily safer than black PP . When using plastic tableware, you should look at the plastic product logo rather than the color to clarify its scope of use.

However, since plastic waste is not easily degradable, for environmental and health reasons, it is best to use less black spoons and other plastic tableware when ordering takeout.

Reference sources: Phoenix Lab, YiDu, Sina Weibo, netizens’ comments, etc.