Latest news with #Stouffer's
Atlantic
07-07-2025
- Health
- Atlantic
My Personal War on Plastic
I used to love my Teflon pans. I crisped tofu, fried latkes, and reduced sauces to sticky glazes in them, marveling at how cleanup never took more than a swipe of a sponge. Then I started to worry that my skillets might kill me. The lining on the inside of a nonstick pan is made of plastic. When heated, it can release toxic fumes; when scratched, it can chip off, blending in with tasty bits of char and grains of pepper. 'Data indicates that there are no health effects from the incidental ingestion of nonstick coating flakes,' the company that produces Teflon says, noting that the government has deemed the cookware 'safe for consumer use.' Still, it warns people to turn their burners down and air vents up when they use their nonstick pans, and to avoid preheating them empty. Other data, a lot of data, suggest that ingesting plastic can damage your organs, suppress your immune system, harden your veins, and predispose you to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Pet birds have died of the 'Teflon flu' after breathing in the smoke from their owners' overheated pans. (Birds' lungs are especially susceptible to toxic gases.) A story about a budgie did it for me. I tossed my nonstick pans into the trash, over my husband's objections. Thus began my slowly escalating, dimly informed campaign to rid my body and life of plastics. I heard a local-radio report on colorectal cancer and impulse-purchased metal baby spoons for my kids at 3 a.m. I recalled a column on endocrine disrupters from who knows when and started drinking my iced coffee from a metal-lined tumbler. I read something about how flexible plastic is particularly problematic and threw out the cling wrap. I got rid of our black plastic spatulas too, after one of my colleagues reported that they might contain flame retardant, which you're really not supposed to eat. I was doing my own research, by which I mean I was taking in data from disparate sources with differing degrees of credibility on a bewilderingly complicated issue and analyzing it with sophomore-year scientific literacy before making consumer decisions driven by single-issue neuroticism and a penchant for online shopping. I was also annoying the bejesus out of my husband, who kept asking where the pancake flipper had gone. Then I read an article suggesting that microplastics might be behind the increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes, which I happen to have. I recalled all the molten Stouffer's lasagnas I had eaten as a kid. I needed to do something right now, but I realized that I had already purged the obvious offenders from the kitchen. Before I could buy something expensive and relax, I stopped, for once. Was I actually reducing my exposure to dangerous chemicals? Was my family safer than it had been before I began my campaign? What kinds of plastic are truly dangerous in the first place? I had no idea. More than I wanted to spend hundreds of dollars at Williams-Sonoma, I wanted to know my enemy. An encomium for the adversary: Plastics are amazing. The synthetic polymers are light and inexpensive, moldable and waterproof, stretchy and resilient. They are also new. The fax machine was invented before plastic was. Plastics have made us safer in a thousand ways: Much-castigated plastic water bottles make the storage and transportation of clean drinking water easy; single-use surgical gear is better at preventing infection than boiled linen. Plastics have also dramatically cut the cost of making and moving things, powering our modern consumer economy no less than gas and electricity have. Judith Enck and Jan Dell: Plastic recycling doesn't work and will never work Plastics are the consumer economy, to a remarkable extent. I knew that fleece and diapers were made from plastic. I was surprised to find out that tea bags, sponges, glitter, paint, cigarette filters, nail polish, chewing gum, toothpaste, mattresses, dental floss, wet wipes, and tampons commonly contain plastic too. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is half plastic composites. Even things that seem like they have nothing to do with plastic are plastic. Aluminum soda cans are lined with an epoxy resin, meaning my predominant source of liquid (room-temperature Diet Coke; not ashamed) essentially comes in a plastic bathtub. This past spring, I decided to see how long I could go without using plastic. I woke up on linen and cotton sheets and glowered at my iced coffee, chilling in its off-limits plastic bottle in the refrigerator. Head aching, I went to get ready for the day. I couldn't turn on the light in my closet or my bathroom. Nor could I brush my teeth, or put on deodorant, moisturizer, sunscreen. The only outfit I could conjure up was a capacious linen shift and a saggy cotton-wool cardigan. No underwear or socks, because they have some stretch to them, and if something stretches, it's thanks to plastic. I could not traipse into my office looking like Gollum's great-aunt, nor could I commute without shoes on. Eighteen minutes after waking up, I surrendered. Plastic is not just everywhere in our homes, but everywhere, period. The world produces so much plastic (more than 400 million metric tons a year, according to one estimate—roughly the combined weight of every human alive) that degraded nubbins coat the planet, detectable in the sedimentary depths of the Mariana Trench and the icy heights of Mount Everest. The human body itself is part plastic: We are humans made of a human-made material. Scientists have found plastic in brains, eyeballs, and pretty much every other organ. We cry plastic tears, leak plastic breast milk, and ejaculate plastic semen. Fetuses contain plastic. Plastic is so ubiquitous that researchers, wanting to examine the effect of plastics on the human body, are struggling to find all-natural individuals to use as controls in studies. Concerns over plastic exposure have exploded in recent years, with podcast bros, MAHA types, and crunchy moms joining environmentalists (and a number of physicians and scientists) in attempting to ditch the substance. Businesses have started offering direct-to-consumer blood tests for microplastics and related contaminants. (Until I started writing this story, the distinctions were lost on me: We are exposed to bits of plastic, known as nanoplastics or microplastics, and plastic-related chemicals, which can leach out of plastics. The latter can include PFAS, 'forever chemicals' with particularly worrisome health implications.) Curious to know how plastic I am, I coughed up $357 (and some plastic particles, probably) and visited a Quest Diagnostics. 'I've never seen anyone get this test before,' the phlebotomist whispered, before puncturing my vein. The results came back a week later: I had 2.06 nanograms of PFAS in every milliliter of my blood, an 'intermediate' quantity implying a 'potential risk of adverse health effects.' Specifically, the test found perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, n-perfluorooctanoic acid, n-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, and perfluoromethylheptane sulfonic acid isomers swimming around in my blood. Knowing what I already knew, I would have been shocked if the test had come back negative. But I still felt concerned. Quest provided me with a phone number to set up a consultation with a physician to discuss my results. I called, hoping someone could tell me what, if anything, I should do with this information. The numbers were 'very good news,' the physician told me at first, saying that my report indicated the chemicals were 'not detected.' But some substances were detected, I pointed out. What did that mean? 'I see why you're confused; your level is higher,' she told me. 'You have to address this to the lab.' After a few minutes of poring over the numbers, she added, 'This is very confusing, even for me.' We went back and forth on safe levels and detectable quantities before I asked her what it meant to test positive for these substances in general. 'There's not much for us to do but to alert you,' she said. 'Everything is made from chemicals, and things are made in China and they don't have high levels of quality control. That's what the modern world has to offer us.' She told me to watch out for breast cancer. I was already doing that. I had read studies linking PFAS to developmental delays, liver damage, kidney cancer, and thyroid disease, among other conditions. Phthalates, used to make plastic flexible, are associated with early menopause and miscarriages. Microplastics and nanoplastics are mixed in with the sand on beaches and float in bottles of distilled water at the grocery store. Nascent research ties them to strokes and lung cancer. How many horrid diagnoses did I need to be on the lookout for? I could be as vigilant as I wanted to be, but the Quest test was essentially meaningless. It gave me a point-in-time estimate of a handful of kinds of PFAS in my bloodstream. But it provided no sense of my lifetime exposure, nor could it help diagnose a current illness or predict my likelihood of disease going forward. Kjersti Aagaard is a physician specializing in maternal-fetal medicine whose research demonstrates where the science is today. She recently co-authored a paper showing that the placentas of preterm infants contain more tiny plastic particles than those of full-term infants. Microplastic accumulation might alter blood-vessel development in the womb, increasing the risk of preterm birth, she told me. But she and her colleagues had 'no data' demonstrating how microplastics caused early deliveries, if they were causing them at all. Still, scientists know more than enough to be concerned. Research indicates that plastic chemicals can bind to hormone receptors, kill cells, and damage DNA. Studies show that the degree of exposure to plastics corresponds to the incidence of disease. We don't know yet 'if this is 'Silent Spring 2.0,' ' Aagaard wrote in an email. We may not know for a long time. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't work to reduce the risks now. That was my next project, and I conscripted Tracey Woodruff, the director of UC San Francisco's Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. Yes, she said, there were straightforward, scientifically informed ways for people to protect themselves. Plastic and plastic-related chemicals have to get into your body to hurt you. You have to consume them, breathe them in, or absorb them through your skin. Cut off the supply lines and hamper the enemy. She told me she sympathized with the urge to buy your way out of harm, but noted that wealthy people have more PFAS in their body than lower-income people, perhaps because they buy so much more stuff. Some fixes involve spending money, but many don't; people should just do what they can, she said. In the kitchen, opt for glass and stainless-steel containers, and throw away degraded plastic tools. Avoid doing anything to heat or agitate plastic, so quit putting plastic containers in the microwave and kiddie cups in the dishwasher. Food and beverages themselves carry plastic particles, so avoid processed foods. 'Eat less takeout and fast food, eat less packaged food, and eat more food prepared in your home; that can reduce your exposure,' she told me. Elsewhere in the home, you can replace polyester rugs, vinyl fabrics, and microfiber towels with alternatives made from linen, cotton, leather, or wool. You can rip up your carpet and opt for bare wood floors. Hang plastic-derived garments to dry after washing them on a gentle cold cycle. 'Ugh, we were the original fleece family,' Woodruff told me. 'It's so great, lightweight, and warm. But it's recycled plastic,' so now she's trying to buy wool and denim coats from thrift stores instead. Then, keep the battleground clean. Wash your hands. Take off your shoes in the house. Use a HEPA filter. The dust bunnies under your bed and the film on your stove vent contain contaminants, so scrub away grease and mop, dust, and vacuum. 'I don't want people to think, Oh, I should go out and buy industrial-strength cleaning products,' Woodruff said. 'Those contain toxic chemicals. You can clean everything with water and vinegar and baking soda.' I began to put her recommendations to use. I bought a metal filter to make my own iced coffee. (Good luck finding an automatic coffee maker without plastic in it.) I started hang-drying a lot of the household's laundry and decided to try to buy natural-fiber clothing going forward. Another point Woodruff made stuck in my head. 'People say the dose makes the poison, and that's fine if you are a healthy adult,' she said. 'But there's a range of how susceptible people are.' People who are pregnant, people with preexisting health conditions, people who work in industrial environments, people who live in polluted neighborhoods, and children are most vulnerable to the 'insult' of plastic chemicals. I turned my attention to my kids. Sheets and blankets are important because you breathe so close to the fibers for so many hours. I replaced my younger son's with natural alternatives. Then I contemplated what to do about my older son, who is obsessed with dragons. A few years ago, I bought him a plastic-fiber duvet cover with dragons on it. I get sweaty looking at it. I needed to get rid of it. 'Why don't I get you a nicer comforter with dragons on it?' I said one evening, trying to be nonchalant. He looked at me like I had threatened to send him to an orphanage. 'No,' he said. The dragons were crucial for the household's safety. 'What if I put dragons above your bed, or around your bed?' No. 'What if I got dragon toys?' No. We had fought to a draw. I waited a few weeks, bought a soft cotton duvet cover, and threw out the dragon one without telling him, changing the HEPA filter while I was at it. The HEPA filter itself was plastic, I noted while standing in my kids' room, awaiting the tantrum that, thankfully, never materialized. My boys' chewed-up stuffies were plastic. Their closet was filled with plastic clothes, their shelves stuffed with plastic-coated books, their backpacks and lunch boxes formed from plastic. That night, I dreamed about plastic. I was back in the hospital where I had given birth for the first time, sitting in a plastic wheelchair in the NICU, eating ice chips out of a plastic jug and absorbing plastic stitches into my skin. I took my older son, tiny enough to slip into a pint glass, out of a plastic box where he was being fed by a plastic tube and oxygenated by a plastic cannula. My anxiety about myself was really about my children—about them growing up in a world where all the objects around them seem bound to hurt them, where too many corporations fight to pad their profits and hide the evidence, where problems are solved by individual action rather than collective responsibility. Until our government acts to protect us, we are both the home chef using the Teflon pan and the budgie choking on the fumes. Throwing the pans out seemed, for now, like the least I could do. And the most I could do, too.
Buzz Feed
31-05-2025
- General
- Buzz Feed
20 Easy, Cheap Struggle Meals To Rely On In A Recession
Everybody knows groceries are getting more expensive — sometimes prohibitively so. So, when I saw a post from Reddit user Asleep-Raspberry-819 on the Frugal subreddit entitled "What was a staple [recession meal] for you during the last one?" I had to see what they had to say. "Trying to save as much money possible as an adult in America on a fixed income," Asleep-Raspberry-819 began. "I try to spend as little as I can right now on groceries, but know I should prepare for the worst before it comes." They continued: "Whether it's just beans and rice or oatmeal, I want to know to either stock up now, figure out recipes now, or start eating it now to save money. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance." Well, here are some of people's best, most helpful responses: "My best advice is just to learn to cook the things you like, then buy what's inexpensive right now." "Buying meat on sale and freezing it is a game changer." "Adding some sausage and/or ham hock to your red beans and rice is a game changer. It goes from being a struggle meal to you being transported to the French Quarter in New Orleans." "I used spaghetti noodles to make peanut butter noodles with soy sauce and Sriracha, added frozen veggies like spinach or peas, and enjoyed it hot or cold." "It was spaghetti carbonara for me until eggs went wild…" "Apples with peanut butter." "I don't mean this in a pejorative way, but eat like a peasant. Flatbreads, seasonal produce, rice, beans, and modest amounts of meat or vegetable protein. Make it interesting with spices and herbs." "Tuna melt quesadillas." "Cans of tomatoes can be used for a large variety of things, like spaghetti, chili, tacos, etc." "Dishes don't have to be 'super cheap' to still be frugal. You can get Thai curry pastes and make excellent curries at home. They are quite easy. Same with spice mixes for Indian dishes." "Rice and its 70,000 variations. Rice with soup bases of different flavors. Rice with veggies. Rice with meat and veggies. Rice with sugar, milk, and raisins as dessert. If you've got rice and flavorings, you've got meals." "Last year I survived in DC on an average $200 a month food budget." "[In 2007] I was a freshman in college and didn't know it was a recession but ate canned new potatoes microwaved with shredded cheddar and topped with sour cream and Hillshire Farms' take on A1 steak sauce… sometimes daily." "When I lived with my boyfriend, we'd get a family-sized Stouffer's lasagne and a 30-pack of Red Dog, Keystone, Busch, or whatever was cheapest. And that would keep us fed for a Monday to Friday work week. Sad, lol." "I used to make something called an Unemployment Burger when I was younger. It was basically a potato shredded with a cheese grater, a tsp of flour, an egg (I think?) and whatever seasoning you have on hand: salt, pepper, garlic etc." "I also made something called Depression Surprise (where the surprise is extra depression)." "Think about the staple foods that kept cultures fed for thousands of years through ups and downs: pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, corn/tortillas, cabbage. Pork shoulder is crazy cheap. Whole chickens or leg quarters are cheap. Broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, and peas are all pretty cheap." "During the last recession I was vegetarian (which saved some money) and stretched out meals with lots of rice and pasta. Eggs were more affordable then too, so those were a primary source of protein along with different types of beans and tofu at ethnic grocers (cheaper)." "Potatoes. Cheap, filling, great nutritional value (if you don't deep fry), and you can do a ton with them. I've had plenty of stints where that was my major food source." And finally: "My kids' favorite cheap meal is a bag of egg noodles and cabbage. I chop the cabbage and sautée it with a couple pats of butter. Get the pan hot beforehand so it chars a little on the bottom. Add the cooked noodles and it's good to go. Maybe four dollars." So, what do you think? I want to hear all your thoughts down in the comments.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Popular snack chip, iconic sauce enter the pizza market
People love to say that even the worst pizza is still pizza. Technically, that's true because we have no real standard for what counts as a pizza. You can call your giant pile of lasagna on a crust, Chicago-style pizza, and nothing prevents the people at Stouffer's from calling their French bread monstrosity pizza.. Related: McDonald's pauses addition of popular new menu item It's a very loose term whose boundaries are pressed by the contents of the frozen pizza aisle. This appears to be one of the most competitive spaces in the grocery store as there are tons of competitors. You have your chains like California Pizza Kitchen, bringing a version of their pizza to the grocery store and you also have players that have build a reputation in the space like DiGiorno. Frozen pizza is a very difficult market to crack because even some of the lesser players like Red Baron and Elio's have been around for decades. Clearly, some frozen pizza gets purchased to a nostalgia and not because it's actually good. And, since most frozen pizza is eaten by kids, the standards are low. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Breaking into the space, however, is incredibly challenging. Not only are there dozens of brands fighting for space in the freezer, every grocery chain has its own house brand. Launching a new frozen pizza requires a gimmick. Two major national brands are taking very different approaches to leveraging their notoriety to become frozen pizza players. Ragu has been around since 1937 and the iconic brand remains popular today. It's a go-to brand for basic sauce needs that's battling with Prego for the top position in the "I'm making pasta for a big group and want it to be fine" space. Now, the company known as one of the core, basic sauce brands nobody has any real feelings about, has launched its own line of frozen pizza. The company has partnered with U.S. frozen-pizza maker Palermo Villa, Inc. and has an overly flowery description of its new frozen pizza brand extension. Related: Dairy Queen makes surprising move to jump on fast-food trend "This innovative partnership is a natural extension of the Ragu brand's current sauce lineup that delivers great tasting, convenient, family-favorite foods at an affordable price, enhancing the Ragu brand's commitment to its genuine Italian heritage and creating mouth-watering foods that the whole family enjoys," it shared. Ragu has remained affordable at a time when some higher end sauce brands have climbed over the $10 per jar price point. The NEW Ragu Frozen Pizzas will be available at select retailers, with a suggested retail price of anywhere from $4.99 - 6.99 depending on location and market. The line includes: • Ragu Cheese Pizza: Radu-inspired sauce-vine-ripened tomatoes and traditional spices on an airy pizzeria-style crust topped with rich whole-milk mozzarella, provolone and white-cheddar cheeses.• Ragu Combination Pizza: a pillowy pizzeria-style crust topped with Ragu-inspired sauce, vine-ripened tomatoes and traditional spices, sumptuous whole-milk mozzarella, Italian sausage, and sliced pepperoni.• Ragu Pepperoni Pizza: Ragu-inspired sauce, vine-ripened tomatoes and traditional spices on a delicious pizzeria-style crust topped with whole-milk mozzarella and savory sliced pepperoni.• Ragu Supreme Pizza: a pizzeria-style crust topped with Ragu-inspired sauce vine-ripened tomatoes and traditional spices, whole-milk mozzarella, Italian sausage, sliced pepperoni, plus a colorful array of green and red peppers, black olives, and onions. Taco Bell has taught us that snack chips are more versatile than we may have been led to believe. And while Doritos has capitalized on that the most, the fine folks at Cheez-it have done their part as well. Like Ragu, Cheez-It has also partnered with Palermo Villa. Its partnership has led to Cheez-It Frozen Pizza, a 12 inch, ultra-thin, and crispy Original Cheez-It flavored crust made with 100% real cheese, "paired with your favorite pizza toppings to remind you of the irresistible, cheesy flavor you love." Cheez-It is owned by Kellanova, which used its Beanstalk exclusive global food and beverage licensing agency to create the partnership. Related: Popular casual restaurant chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Cheez-It Frozen Pizza is available now for a suggested retail price of $6.99 - $9.99 and can be found at select retailers nationwide, including Kroger, Ahold, HEB, Winn-Dixie, Wegman's, and Food City. Product rollout begins in May and will widely expand by August. The Cheez-It pizza lineup includes: Italian Four Cheese: A delightful blend of whole milk mozzarella, yellow cheddar, parmesan, and Romano cheeses with marinara sauce atop an ultra-thin, and crispy Original Cheez-It flavored crust. Pepperoni: Featuring whole milk mozzarella, yellow cheddar, pepperoni, and marinara sauce atop an ultra-thin, and crispy Original Cheez-It flavored crust, this flavor is sure to satisfy classic pizza cravings. Cheddar Jack Supreme: A hearty combination of pepperoni, Italian sausage, green and red peppers, black olives, onions, yellow cheddar, Monterey Jack, and marinara atop an ultra-thin, and crispy Original Cheez-It flavored crust. "This starts with the crust which is like a large Cheez-It flavored cracker – crispy, cheesy, and square-shaped. It's then topped with customer-favorite toppings that perfectly complement the crust," said Palermo's Chief Innovation Officer Nick Fallucca. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coca-Cola cases recalled due to plastic contamination
Coca-Cola has issued a recall on select cases of its soda due to foreign object contamination. Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, LLC issued the voluntary recall earlier this month, according to a report shared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A total of 864 cases — each of which has 12 Coca-Cola cans — have been recalled because they were contaminated with plastic. This means that more than 10,000 cans of soda were affected by the recall. According to the FDA, each of the affected cans has a UPC of 0 49000-00634 6. The targeted packs of 12 cans have a UPC of 0 49000-02890 4. The recalled cases of Coca-Cola were distributed to retailers in Illinois and Wisconsin. The action was classified as a 'Class II' recall on Monday, which is a 'situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,' according to the FDA. The Independent has contacted Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, LLC for comment. The news comes as food and drink recalls continue to be on the rise. Last week, Aldi issued a voluntary recall on 400 cases of Happy Farm's Colby Jack Deli Sliced Cheese, which included 12 plastic pouches of blended Colby and Monterey cheese slices each. According to the FDA, the Aldi product may contain stainless steel fragments, and exposure to such contaminants could cause temporary health risks. It's unclear how the potential metal products got into the cheese. Days earlier, Dessert Holdings, LLC announced that it was recalling a Target brand cheesecake. The product is Favorite Day's New York Style Cheesecake, sold in a six-ounce container with two slices of cake. The cheesecake was recalled due to mislabeled packaging, resulting in undeclared pecans in the products. Customers who 'have an allergy or severe sensitivity to pecans run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions' if they consume this cheesecake, states a press release concerning the recall. Recalled cheesecakes were sent to Target Distribution Centers in California, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas. The product was sold at Target stores in these states. Also this month, Nestlé U.S. issued a voluntary recall on a limited supply of its Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine meals due to the potential presence of 'wood-like material.' The food conglomerate said the recalled products had been distributed 'at major retailers' between September 2024 and March 2025. Nestlé said the company launched an investigation after consumers contacted them to report multiple issues — one involving a potential choking incident.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Coca-Cola Is Recalling Over 10,000 Cans From These 2 States
People expect food safety scares to originate in things like fresh vegetables or packaged meat, but the latest recall is affecting something decidedly less fresh: Coca-Cola. According to a recall statement put out by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 24, a Coca-Cola bottling firm issued a recall for 10,000 cans of the popular soda that were shipped to the midwestern states of Illinois and Wisconsin. The recall is over potential foreign objects in the cans, specifically plastic. The products affected by the recall are only found in 12-packs of Coca-Cola Original Taste that were shipped to those two states in a total of 864 cases. If you are in the affected area and have purchased a Coca-Cola 12-pack, the recalled cases can be identified with a pack UPC of 0 49000-02890 4, and the individual cans will have a UPC 0 49000-00634 6. The packs will also have a date code of SEP2925MDA and a time stamp of 1100-1253. Although recalled products have likely been pulled from the shelves, the order is only a few weeks old, so take extra precaution. If you have purchased one of the recalled 12-packs, it should not be consumed and should instead be returned to the retailer for a refund. If you have further questions about the recall, the FDA can be reached by calling 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332). Read more: Why Oui Yogurt Comes In Glass Pots (And What To Do With Them After Snack Time) The FDA recall class for the Coca-Cola 12-packs is currently a lower risk level II, which the agency defines as, "Use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences." While not as serious as some recent recalls, the presence of plastic does pose a choking hazard and can lead to gastrointestinal distress. Plastic often finds its way into food and drink from parts in the assembly lines where these products are manufactured. Food recalls have been increasing in frequency in recent years, with the United States seeing a 20% increase since 2020. While allergen contamination is the most common reason for recalls, foreign object contamination makes up more than 10% of recalls and has also been growing, with a recent recall over plastic contamination in Lean Cuisine and Stouffer's also issued in March of 2025. However, it's not clear that this signals an actual increase in plastic in food, as detection methods have also improved in recent years and it may just be that more foreign objects are being caught. So while it's good to stay aware of recalls in the news, they don't always indicate negative trends. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
