Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention! Just to ease your worries in four words: these emails are scams.
The best way to know if an email is credible or not from a well-known source such as John Hopkins is to ask yourself this question: did I sign up to receive cancer updates from them (or did my friend of a friend of a friend)? John Hopkins, as well as other well-known medical centers, does not communicate health information with the public in this manner (through scary mass emails!), so don't worry. Also...the most sensationalized and stress-inducing email rumors are usually attributed to the most famous and well-known source (in this instance: John Hopkins for cancer information), which is when you can know it's an urban legend.
FYI: the "cancer update" email has been going around since last March 2007 and the "cooking plastic" portion of the email has been circultaing since 2002.
Lastly, notice the use of language, and how it is different in an email scam (use of scare-tactics) vs. the actual sources themselves (calm tone). These organizations do not want to "scare the health into you"! :-)
Now, to answer your health questions
- There are no dioxins in water bottles: this is an urban legend
- "In general, whenever you heat something you increase the likelihood of pulling chemicals out. Chemicals can be released from plastic packaging materials like the kinds used in some microwave meals. If you are cooking with plastics or using plastic utensils, the best thing to do is to follow the directions and only use plastics that are specifically meant for cooking. Inert containers are best, for example heat-resistant glass, ceramics and good old stainless steel."
- "Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and white microwave-safe paper towels should be safe to use. Do not let plastic wrap touch foods during microwaving."
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Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention! Just to ease your worries in four words: these emails are scams.
The best way to know if an email is credible or not from a well-known source such as John Hopkins is to ask yourself this question: did I sign up to receive cancer updates from them (or did my friend of a friend of a friend)? John Hopkins, as well as other well-known medical centers, does not communicate health information with the public in this manner (through scary mass emails!), so don't worry. Also...the most sensationalized and stress-inducing email rumors are usually attributed to the most famous and well-known source (in this instance: John Hopkins for cancer information), which is when you can know it's an urban legend.
FYI: the "cancer update" email has been going around since last March 2007 and the "cooking plastic" portion of the email has been circultaing since 2002.
Snopes.com is a great site to check the validity of such email scams.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cookplastic.asp (scroll down to see John Hopkins variation)
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cancerupdate.asp
Lastly, notice the use of language, and how it is different in an email scam (use of scare-tactics) vs. the actual sources themselves (calm tone). These organizations do not want to "scare the health into you"! :-)
Now, to answer your health questions
- There are no dioxins in water bottles: this is an urban legend
- "In general, whenever you heat something you increase the likelihood of pulling chemicals out. Chemicals can be released from plastic packaging materials like the kinds used in some microwave meals. If you are cooking with plastics or using plastic utensils, the best thing to do is to follow the directions and only use plastics that are specifically meant for cooking. Inert containers are best, for example heat-resistant glass, ceramics and good old stainless steel."
- "Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and white microwave-safe paper towels should be safe to use. Do not let plastic wrap touch foods during microwaving."
Sources
October 12, 2008 - 1:46pmUSDA Food Safety Education: Cooking with Plastics
John Hopkins
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