If it's more than 11 years old: If the Tupperware you have at home is excessively old, you should replace it not only because it may have deep scratches from constant use where bacteria can get trapped, but also because it's probably made of bisphenol-A (BPA), a potentially harmful chemical.
Old Tupperware, especially those over a decade old, might contain hazardous chemicals like cadmium, lead, and arsenic. These can leach into your food, posing significant health risks. Vintage Tupperware products are particularly concerning due to the potential leaching of additional harmful substances.
If you look at the bottom of your plastic food storage containers and they have a #2, #4, or #5, those are generally recognized as safe for food and drink. If any of your containers have a #3, #6, or #7, those should be disposed of because they are considered high-risk plastics.
Since March 2010, items Tupperware sells in the US and Canada are BPA-free, according to its website.
According to National Geographic's The Green Guide, plastics #2, #4 and #5 are the safest for repeatedly storing your food. If you reuse items made from plastics #1, #3, #6 and #7 (some Tupperware products are made from #7), you run the risk of having toxic chemicals leach into the contents.
Is Vintage Tupperware Dangerous? Yes, it can be. There have been many reports of vintage Tupperware containing unsafe levels of lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. It's time to stop using that old Tupperware handed down from granny.
While there is no set timeframe for replacing plastic food containers, experts say they should be tossed out when they show visible wear, chips, cracks, or signs of stains and odors. In place of plastic containers, experts recommend opting for glass or stainless steel instead.
As of March 2010, items sold by Tupperware US & CA are made of BPA-free materials.
LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
In the event of a product's failure to meet the foregoing warranty, Tupperware, at its election, will either replace the affected product with a like or similar product or provide a credit toward future purchases of Tupperware® brand products.
Well, you should know that reusing a container that has stored food with mold is a mistake in terms of food safety and poses risks to your health that you should not overlook.
Additionally, both rubbing alcohol and grain alcohol kill bacteria on plastic surfaces. Soak the plastic: For complete plastic sterilization, soak the plastic container in a bleach-water solution of about 5 to 10 percent bleach. Bleach will not take long to disinfect, so the soaking time is minimal.
Look at its colors: pieces from the 1940s and '50s are white or pastel, while later items are saturated in bright hues. Each of the storage canisters in the Servalier line, which nested within one another in graduated sizes, came with a decorative flower emblem on its smudge-proof textured exterior.
Nostalgia in the Kitchen With Vintage Brands
Famous brands of kitchenware like Tupperware hold their value in part because of nostalgic appeal.
Your storage containers will have the symbol of a fork and wine glass engraved into the plastic if it actually is safe to store your meals in. Don't worry—most of your Tupperware should be completely usable with food, but it's always a good idea to check.
Tupperware plastic products typically do not have a specific expiry date. However, over time, they may show signs of wear and tear, which can affect their quality.
Some plastic bottles, cups, containers, toys and pacifiers, are made with the chemicals bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates. These chemicals may be toxic when released by heat or when the product is scratched.
Is vintage Tupperware safe to use? Not in a food storage sense. While we've established that it's unlikely that 40 year old Tupperware is safe to use because of BPA, it may still hold some worth in niche markets for rare, vintage items.
Tupperware® brand products are warranted by Tupperware against chipping, cracking, breaking or peeling under normal non-commercial use for the lifetime of the product. Please contact our Customer Care at 1-800-TUPPERWARE (1-800-887-7379) for assistance or through chat at Tupperware.com.
Locate the mold number on the product. Every Tupperware® product has a two-part number stamped into it. The first part (before the dash) is the mold number. Heads up: it can be super teeny-tiny.
What is best from the reduce/reuse/recycle perspective? If they are clean, Recology prefers them to be recycled into a new product. If they are soiled, then they should go into the compost bin where they can break down.
Exposure to BPA is a concern because of the possible health effects on the brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. It can also affect children's behavior. Additional research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Our food containers and beverage products are safe to use for pouring boiled water into them. Boiling water poured into our product cools very rapidly, and this should not damage or warp the container. Helpful? Thank you for your feedback!
While the vast majority of Tupperware products are considered safe, for example, some of its food storage containers use polycarbonate (plastic #7), which has been shown to leach the harmful hormone-disrupting chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) into food items after repeated uses.
In September this year, Tupperware Brands filed for bankruptcy in a Delaware court as demand fell, losses mounted, the stock slumped and debt rose. Tupperware revolutionized food and kitchen storage in the latter half of the 20th century and became a household name.
Only use the dishwasher if the plastic containers are labeled “dishwasher safe” and always use the top rack. The bottom rack is closer to the heating element and can melt your containers. Brown says for Tupperware-brand containers, anything purchased before 1979 should not go in the dishwasher.