Bamboo cups and dishes have become more and more popular in recent years.
Now Öko-Test warns against use - for health reasons.
Frankfurt am Main - Sustainable and particularly environmentally friendly: That is what the increasingly popular bamboo to-go cups are supposed to be. Öko-Test AG, based in Frankfurt, has a different opinion. Because, according to the platform, the cups and dishes are usually not actually made of bamboo, but of synthetic resin with a very small proportion of ground bamboo. Products that are actually made of bamboo are not affected by this criticism.
"Melamine or urea-formaldehyde resins serve as shaping components - shredded bamboo, corn or cornstarch is often only added as a filler," explains Janina Willers, nutrition expert at the Lower Saxony consumer center.
According to the
Öko-Test,
this can be
harmful to health.
Because if the material comes into contact with hot liquids above 70 degrees Celsius, it can release pollutants such as formaldehyde, which the EU classifies as suspicious of cancer, and melamine, which is harmful to the kidneys.
Carcinogenic substances were also recently found in a popular pasta dish.
Bamboo plastic tableware: health risk from harmful substances that are suspected to be cancerous
In addition, according to the tester platform, the mixture of bamboo flour and plastic is neither sustainable nor "biodegradable" because they are usually burned at the end of their life.
A group of experts from the European Commission came to the conclusion that these products should not be sold in the EU.
Because mixed substances must be approved separately for plastic products.
However, this never happened for bamboo flour, among other things.
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Criticism of bamboo plastic tableware: what to do if you have already bought?
If you have already bought the products and do not want to throw them away, you can
still use them
by observing the following tips according to the
Öko-Test
:
Avoid contact with hot food - especially with food that is over 70 degrees (tea, coffee, etc.)
Do not put dishes in the oven or microwave - dishwasher is harmless
As soon as the dishes or cups lose their shine or the surface is roughened, they should no longer be used - pollutants can then be released more easily
Nationwide, consumer advice centers are calling for the supposed bamboo tableware, but also the products with rice and wheat fibers, to be recalled. As an alternative,
Öko-Test
suggests
sustainable product variants made of stainless steel, glass or porcelain.