Are plastic food containers safe?

I think the problem only relates to containers made from polycarbonate. This is the plastic used for soft drinks bottles and similar, and can be recognised by the small triangle symbol on disposable plastic bottles with a number '7' in the triangle. It does not apply to all plastic containers.

The main thing is not to cook food in plastic containers of any kind. I do not think there is much danger using non-polycarbonate plastic containers for storage.

I am only using smaller sizes of Kilner jars and they are on offer in S'burys at the moment. Also arcocroc are lighter weight and I use them.

I have used plastic containers since they were first available and I and my family are all fit and healthy.

Items made of recyclable plastic have a triangle stamped on them, with a number to show which kind of plastic they are made from. Some have a symbol of a glass and a fork, to show that they are food grade.

These are considered safe =
1 (PET or Polyethylene Terephthalate),
2 (HDPE or High Density Polyethylene)
4 (LDPE or Low Density Polyethylene)
5 (PP or Polypropylene)

3 (PVC or vinyl) is the one to be avoided. Phthalates are used widely in polyvinyl chloride plastics, which are used to make products such as plastic packaging film and sheets, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood-storage containers, medical tubing, and some children's toys.
"Consumers can ... take matters into their own hands by avoiding products packaged in “recycling-code-3” plastic, products that include the vague ingredient “fragrance” on their label, and purchasing organic products packaged in glass as much as possible." Phthalates . . . . How bad are they really?

6 is styrofoam, you are not likely to store anything in that.
7 is "other plastics" and is not likely to be used on food items.

naturalsociety.com/recycling-symbols-numbers-plastic-bottles-meaning/

Identification symbols for plastics
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin_identification_code

Many thanks for all this useful advice--it does seem better to avoid mixing plastic and food when possible. I use the Pyrex dishes with blue rubber? tops and also foil containers for freezing cooked food and think I will now stock up with smaller Kilner jars. Sainsbury here I come.

Freezer bags are perfectly ok for freezing food in, but I always use Pyrex when heating food in the microwave.

Remember Tupperware? [nostalgia] emoticon
I still miss it, but every so often I give in to the urge and hit Lakeland!

You will do whatever you think best, blueskies, but my opinion/advice is that most plastics are perfectly OK for storage (avoiding the kind with a 3 in the recycling triangle stamped on it) Heating food in contact with plastics is doubtful, but occasional use won't add much to your lifetime contact.

Do you buy things that are sold in plastic? Yoghurt? Soup? Bagged salads? Many ready prepared foodstuffs? The manufacturers use materials which have been passed for food use. If you boycott them all, you could go hungry.

What is the difference with black plastic food trays? As I understand it the kerbside council recycling doesn't take it. Any other colour is, apparently, acceptable. M&S now put a black card tray under some fruit and veg whic goes with the other recyclable card.

Dry foods are fine in plastic. I read somewhere that the Queen has her breakfast cereal placed at the table in Tupperware containers. She's doing alright. Cold liquids would be ok too.

For microwave cooking, it would be labelled
'microwave safe', if it is.

There is nothing horrible about black plastic trays, but the automatic eye in the machines that sort the recycling can't detect it (no light reflected back), so they don't get into the right pile.

There is new technology that can make it detectable, so as that is used more, they should become accepted by all LAs
www.edie.net/news/5/Black-tray-recycling-now-possible-with-packaging-breakthrough/23450/

Before the days of microwaves I used to boil puddings in a plastic basin with a lid, until I realised there was a slight taste of plastic to the puds. So I started using a Pyrex basin with a teaplate on top.

I do prefer tins for cakes. You can get a faint whiff of plastic with a plastic container.

Some councils seem to have more comprehensive facilities for recycling than others. Ours doesn't accept a lot of stuff that says it is recyclable. Bad really.

Elegant - many thanks, now I know why! I'll continue to put black plastic into general rubbish for incineration until the local council tells me otherwise!