Different Kinds of Plastic Wrap

Under plastic wrap we usually understand thin plastic used for keeping food fresh.  Till recent moment there existed three kinds of polymers which were used for plastic wraps in the food industry. First of them is polyethylene, it is also called Glad Wrap. The second is polyvinylidene chloride of Saran Wrap. The third kind of polymer is called polyvinyl chloride or Reynold’s Plastic Wrap. In preserving such food products as cheese, ham, strawberry we can reach the best results if we find the type of plastic wrap which can prevent the food from the access of oxygen. In addition, the wrap should be safe for health and environment. Plastic wraps which contain polyvinylidene chloride make the best barrier for oxygen and aroma molecules. So-called Saran wraps hold the first place in the plastic wrap market in many countries. Unfortunately, polyvinylidene chloride, which was originally approved for food industry causes great concerns because of material it is made of. In addition polyvinylidene chloride has negative impact on the environment. This material is hard to recycle and some its components are toxic. Vinyl chloride plastic wrap also contains a lot of components which are dangerous for human health. At the present moment polyvinyl and polyvinylidene chlorides (PVC) are recognized as components which are harmful for human health. In addition, some polyvinyl and polyvinylidene chlorides plastic wraps contain additional components, such as Di-ethylhexyl (DEHA) plasticizer. DEHA is used in order to make wrap more flexible. Unfortunately, latest researches prove that molecules of DEHA contained in plastic wrap can get into food. Since DEHA is a human carcinogen its use in plastic wrap for food industry can be dangerous. This is especially true for such products as cheese and meet as these products have higher ability to absorb DEHA. DEHA is used in Reynold’s Plastic Wrap and in many kinds of Saran Wrap. Plastic Wraps which contain no polyvinyl chloride and polyvinylidene chloride must be the best choice. It is also necessary also to check up if food wrap contains plasticizers, such as DEHA, which can be harmful for human health. Low Density Polyethylene is a new type of material used for food industry. This kind of material does not contain dangerous chemical elements. If to compare it with PVC-contained wraps LDPE wraps possess worse ability to block oxygen access. These means that PVC plastic wraps are more effective in keeping products fresh, saving their looks and aroma. At the same time LDPE wraps are safer for human health. They do not contain dangerous elements contained in PVC wraps. In addition LDPE wraps are not so harmful for the environment. Glad Cling Wrap, Saran Cling Plus, Best-Yet Clear Plastic Wrap, Diamant Food Wrap are latest plastic wraps developed on the basis of LDPE. These means that these kinds of plastic wrap are comparatively safe. If we compare their ability to preserve food if compared to PVC wraps they definitely win when speaking about safety of the products. More and more people care about their health nowadays and wrap is also very important because we use it a lot in order to keep our food fresh. In addition, food wrap comes in direct contact with our food. This means that its content is important for our health. PVC-free food wrap gains more and more popularity in food industry. I would use any kind of LDPE-based food wraps to save my products. In addition, I would also make sure it does not contain dangerous plasticizers.