Electric Jug - Cancer Causing?

Briscoes had those jugs at 60% off.. so dont pay more than $50 and I have had a glass one now for 15yrs and wouldnt have plastic ever.. the taste is foul, not worried about the cancer gene.
I think that cancer was not diagnosed often back in the dark ages of pre 70's and in my early nursing days, I sure saw lots of cancer deaths... not so many survivors, so no one to tell the story.... certainly an increase in skin cancers, but that is cos folk are now living beyond 70, and living to have a second/third bout of cancer, which then marks their journey, into the next phase

Consumer Magazine had a report on plastic some 15 years ago. Find it - read it - and you'll never drink a cuppa made from hot water from a plastic kettle again.

We, too, have a glass kettle from Briscoes, it's brilliant and not that noisy. It isn't silent, either.

Anything where plastic touches food and the plastic is heated the plastic's chemicals leach into the food. Some of the worst things are plastic food wrap that is left on to heat food, those 'boil-in-the-bag' foods, ready meals in a plastic tray, and, of course, plastic kettles.

Remember those plastic toys that have been recalled as the babies who chewed on them got sick?

And yes, strawberries do cause cancer. Not the homegrown unsprayed variety but the commercially grown ones that have been sprayed with a whole cocktail of chemicals. But who eats strawberries several times a day every day of the year? We don't. But we use the kettle two or three times each day.

Will everyone get cancer from using a plastic kettle or eating strawberries? No. Just the same as some people can smoke their whole lives and never have any problems. Rather safe than sorry!

A

There are "Plastics" & Plastics" some are safe some are not, food grade are generally OK these days.

arnie.m;296900 wrote: There are "Plastics" & Plastics" some are safe some are not, food grade are generally OK these days.

This is very true - some people use non-food grade plastics to store their food in - much worse than food grade plastic. But still, susceptible individuals can try to avoid plastics wherever they can to lessen their cancer risk. It's just common sense. Just the same like not starting to smoke and not living under high voltage power lines.

What about the plastic travel mugs you buy to use in the car & the plastic tops on the paper cups for takeaway coffee & tea?

I guess that's the same thing - but - there are no alternatives. Also - how often do you use such a travel mug compared to the kettle? It's all about reducing the risk without fretting out.

The take-away lid doesn't touch the drink much so is a negligible risk compared to the kettle.

arnie.m;296900 wrote: There are "Plastics" & Plastics" some are safe some are not, food grade are generally OK these days.

The problem with plastics contacting foods is not only related to the quality of the plastic but is especially worsened when heat is added, such as in the case of boiling jugs, microwave heating and plastic bottles left in direct sunlight.

The 'plasticisers' added to plastics during their manufacture makes the molding and forming process simpler but these substances are very volatile and will slowly be released from the finished article after manufacture as gases, especially when the article is heated. The pungent 'plasticy' smell that greets you as you enter "The Warehouse" is these plasticisers being released from the cheaply produced (especially Chinese) products prevalent there. Unscrupulous manufacturers use higher levels of plasticisers to lessen manufacturing costs and damn the customer health risks.

Plasticisers are chemically similar to oestrogen hormones and are easily absorbed into our bodies (breathing, ingesting, skin contact) with carcinogenic effects. Google "zenoestrogens plastics" for more detail.

We have an ageing Russell Hobbs kettle which is due to be replaced, with a glass one