CONTEXT- PET bottles are safe, a comprehensive evaluation by the CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore has determined.
- PET is short for polyethylene terephthalate, the chemical name for polyester.
- PET is a clear, strong, and lightweight plastic that is widely used for packaging foods and beverages, especially convenience-sized soft drinks, juices and water.
- It is also popular for packaging salad dressings, peanut butter, cooking oils, mouthwash, shampoo, liquid hand soap, window cleaner, even tennis balls.
- Special grades of PET are used for carry-home food containers and prepared food trays that can be warmed in the oven or microwave.
- The basic building blocks of PET are ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid, which are combined to form a polymer chain.
“The studies further confirmed that antimony does not leach out of PET bottles. These findings further establish that no endocrine disruption happens from the use of PET bottles. The migration studies were at most stringent conditions of time, temperature and accelerated testing environment,” said a statement from Pet Packaging Association for Clean Environment (PACE), the industry body which commissioned the study.
