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Posted by Alicia on February 14, 2008 at 8:07:49 pm EST
In reply to Rehydrating food??? posted by Jofes on February 13, 2008 at 4:15:20 pm EST

I’d be concerned about heating a plastic bag for cooking foods, especially one not designed for that use. Personally I’d avoid it, although a bag specifically made to be cooked in sounds preferable to a standard ziplock.

As said above, ziplocks are made from polyethylene plastic (#4), which is considered among the safer plastics (versus others like PVC (#3); polystyrene (#6), which contains a carcinogen; and polycarbonate (#7), which contains the leaching-BPA).

But that’s considered safe by comparison for normal usage, not what might happen when the plastic is exposed to heat and can break down, potentially leaking something into the food you’re ingesting.

If you haven’t, take a look at the following study’s press release:
Study Shows Heat Accelerates BPA Release
http://www.trailspace.com/news/2008/01/31/study-shows-heat-accelerates-bpa-release.html

It deals with polycarbonate water bottles, but the heat aspect makes one wonder about the implications of heating other plastics for food or liquid and what might leach out of them.

Unfortunately, at the moment it seems like there’s not enough info to make a conclusion either way about safety. Without a clear answer, and in light of the info increasingly coming out on other plastics, I’m inclined to be more cautious and would avoid cooking in a ziplock or similar plastic bag.

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