Expert: Long-term use of inferior straws is equivalent to "taking drugs"

90% of the disposable plastic straws on the urban market are three-no products, and the "toxic straws" are made of waste plastics and even medical waste. Many breakfast shops, small supermarkets, etc. are using it. Experts say that harmful substances in straws will dissolve in beverages. Long-term use is equivalent to "drug use" and will cause harm to the digestive system, liver, etc. Colored straws are even more dangerous.

"Long-term use of low-quality straws is equivalent to 'drug use', especially when drinking hot and acidic beverages."

Experts say that there are many straws on the market that are three-no products. Professor Xiong Jiaping, director of the Department of Internal Medicine at Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that many beverages, including fruit juice and carbonated drinks, contain acid, and the pigments in colored straws will dissolve in the acid. If there are heavy metals in them, they will be absorbed by the human body and cause damage to the internal organs. Children, in particular, are best not to use straws. Long-term use of low-quality straws containing plasticizers is equivalent to "taking drugs", especially when drinking hot and acidic drinks, which will cause harm to the human digestive system, liver, etc.

"Three-no" straws make milk tea taste like plastic

Recently, according to media reports, Ms. Wang, a citizen, bought a cup of warm milk tea at a beverage store in Simenkou, Wuchang. As soon as she took a sip, she felt that the taste was wrong: why did it taste like plastic? So she threw away the straw and drank it directly, and the plastic taste disappeared. Based on this, the reporter visited a number of beverage shops and breakfast shops and found that most of the straws provided to citizens for drinking beverages, soy milk, soda, etc. did not have product information. In a breakfast shop in Nanhu, the straws were placed in transparent plastic bags for diners to use. As for the source of the straws, the owner insisted that they were good and qualified.

According to data provided by industry insiders, the world now consumes more than 30 billion disposable plastic straws each year. This small straw now carries too much worry, and some media even question: Are we using straws or taking drugs? Not long ago, CCTV's "Economic Half Hour" program conducted undercover investigations into "toxic straws" in Changsha, Hunan and Yiwu, Zhejiang. The program pointed out that disposable plastic straws can be seen everywhere in breakfast shops, beverage shops, and roadside stalls. They may all be low-quality straws made from waste plastics or even medical waste. In fact, in recent years, such low-quality disposable plastic straws have become rampant.

So where do these three-no straws come from? CCTV reporters went to Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province. There are nearly 20 plastic straw companies in Yiwu, and their straw production accounts for about 60% of the world's total. Lou Zhongping, chairman of Yiwu Shuangtong Company, which is responsible for drafting the national standard for "Polypropylene Drinking Straws", told reporters that the current domestic straw market situation is not optimistic and has had a negative impact on the prospects of the entire industry. Now, if you go to any city across the country, more than 90% of the products are “three-no”.

"Toxic straws" are made from waste plastic and medical waste

It is reported that the raw material composition of straws is very complex. It not only contains waste polypropylene, but also other materials such as medical waste, or some very complex imported waste plastics. Why are these straws made from recycled raw materials, or even from waste plastics and medical waste, so prevalent? Lou Zhongping said that the main reason is that they are cheap, and the cost of raw materials is very low.

So when using inferior straws, how do harmful substances such as plasticizers enter the human body and cause harm? The person in charge of Shuangtong Company conducted a test experiment on the "three-no" straws that the reporter bought from the local market. The main purpose is to test whether the product will be absorbed into drinks or food during the process of contact with food. After two hours of soaking, a result was seen, there was a discoloration phenomenon, the black being the most obvious. If such disposable plastic straws are soaked in hot beverages such as milk tea and hot soy milk, the toxins that migrate will be even greater, and long-term use will cause great harm to the human body.

It is understood that from May 1, 2010, my country officially implemented the "National Standard for Polypropylene Drinking Straws", which stipulates that disposable plastic straws are food-related products. Production companies must obtain a food-related product production license issued by the quality supervision department, and the product outer packaging must have a "QS" logo. "According to regulations, there must be detailed product information on the outer packaging of the product, including product name, factory name and address, production date, shelf life, production specifications and production batch number, etc., and the food quality and safety certification (QS logo) must be printed. Any straw that does not meet the above conditions is suspected of violating regulations.

According to Taiwan's TVBS website, many consumers always think that it is okay to drink cold drinks. In fact, if the paint on the straw contains lead, the heavy metal may be swallowed as the color peels off. Many breakfast shops also use colored straws. The brighter the paint or pigment, the more likely it is that they contain "lead", which may peel off during use and may melt and release heavy metals when the temperature is high.

Reporter survey: Most people don't know straws contain toxic substances

The weather is getting colder day by day. Refreshing ice drinks are no longer the choice of citizens, while higher-temperature drinks such as soy milk and milk tea are more popular among citizens. Reporters randomly interviewed people on the street and found that most citizens were unaware of the harmful substances contained in disposable straws, and some respondents said they had encountered similar situations where they smelled plastic. Another female netizen said that she drinks a cup of milk tea almost every day, and sometimes likes to bite the straw.

In fact, in Nanjing Xinjiekou subway shops and other business districts such as Hunan Road and Confucius Temple, almost all beverage shops use colorful straws, especially red, orange and pink straws. Some plastic straws are individually wrapped in plastic paper, but there are no brand logos or material indications on them. At the same time, in some restaurants, straws are mostly given free of charge when citizens buy drinks. "These straws are not worth much, a pack of about 60 for a few dollars," said an employee of a beverage store. The straws used by some small private stores do not even have external labels, and some are not even individually packaged, but are scattered randomly in the cylinder. Although these straws do not have a factory name, address or contact number, they still have a large market due to their low prices.

Experts: Straws, tableware, etc. that come into contact with food should not be colored

Experts suggest that straws and tableware that come into contact with food should not be too "colorful". Some plates and dishes have patterns on the side that comes into contact with food, which may cause the paint to peel off after long-term use. To protect yourself, it is safest to choose tableware and bowls with colorless inside. Do not use straws with full colors or colored stripes. Transparent and colorless ones are safer. Most toys that children play with are very bright, so the selection of brands and manufacturers is more important. If you do not want to inadvertently ingest heavy metals, remember to avoid "colors". The public is advised that the plainer and colorless the tableware, plates and straws that come into contact with food, the safer they are.

Experts from the Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that my country requires straws to be produced using polypropylene, as this material does not contain plasticizers and is basically safe. If the plasticizer exceeds the standard, or if straws made of waste plastic are used, harmful substances such as plasticizers will migrate out of the straws and mix with the beverage.

If consumed for a long time, it will cause harm to the human digestive system, liver, etc., and may also lead to precocious puberty, infertility, and even cancer. When using straws, citizens should pay attention to whether there is a QS logo on the outer packaging.

Professor Xiong Jiaping, director of the Department of Internal Medicine at Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, introduced that many beverages, including fruit juice and carbonated drinks, contain acid, and the pigments in colored straws will dissolve in the acid. If there are heavy metals in them, they will be absorbed by the human body, causing damage to internal organs in the long run, especially for children. It is best not to use straws, as colored straws are even more dangerous.

A research article by Lin Jieliang, an authority on toxicology in Taiwan, also stated that male infertility is closely related to the heavy metal lead. As the lead concentration in male semen increases, the number of sperm decreases accordingly. The heavy metal lead is often used in items such as colored straws, plastic toys and raincoats. Since it is not easily metabolized by the body, the lead accumulated in childhood may affect adult reproductive ability.

Three ways to identify "problematic straws"

It is understood that there are currently two types of straws: polypropylene (non-toxic) and polyvinyl chloride (toxic). Polypropylene (non-toxic): This is the PP written on the ingredients. Some also use high-density food-grade polypropylene. Polypropylene is non-toxic and can withstand high temperatures. Polyvinyl chloride (toxic): Some inferior straws are made of polyvinyl chloride or industrial polyethylene. These materials have poor heat and aging resistance and are mostly used in industry and generally not in food. When the temperature exceeds 50°C, it will slowly decompose into hydrogen chloride gas, which is harmful to the human body.

Lou Zhongping, chairman of "Shuangtong", said that it is actually quite easy to identify inferior straws, which can generally be summarized into "three steps". First, look to see whether there are various logos on the outer packaging; second, smell the straw to see if there is a pungent odor. If there is, it may be an inferior straw; third, pinch it. If the straw is deformed and has no elasticity when pinched, it means that it is made of relatively thin material and is of poor quality.

In addition, Lou Zhongping told reporters that consumers need to be aware of a misunderstanding. To distinguish whether straws are qualified, they cannot judge solely by color. The depth and brightness of the color have no necessary relationship with whether the product is qualified or not. The color of the straw is nothing more than the addition of some edible colorants. Whether the color is bright or not cannot determine whether the product is safe or not. Whether all of this is safe or not must be based on its physical and chemical testing indicators.