Published: Friday November 20, 2009 MYT 3:41:00 PM
Plastic bottles are safe, claims forum
PETALING JAYA: The use of plastic water bottles is safe, says the Malaysian Plastics Forum (MPF).
It chairman Lim Kok Boon said plastic or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles had been subjected to the US Food and Drugs Administration’s (FDA) review and regulations process before they were allowed to be used as packaging material.
“The FDA has determined that PET meets standards for food and beverage packaging for both single and repeated use.
“According to the International Life Sciences Institute’s report on Packaging Material: PET for Food Packaging Applications, PET is biologically inert and together with its other physical properties, is particularly suitable for food packaging applications,” he said in a statement Friday.
Lim was responding to the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) which recently warned consumers of the dangers of reusing water bottles and called on the authorities to ban bottled water in the country.
CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said there was evidence that a toxic material called antimony (used in making polyethylene bottles) begins leaching into the water immediately, even on the plastic bottle’s first use.
Lim said Mohamed Idris’ statement may unduly alarm the general public.
On claims that plastic bottles were the cause for environmental pollution, he said that it was not the product but the behaviour of mankind which was to blame.
“Calling for the ban of PET bottles is only counterproductive and does not address the root cause of littering,” Lim said.
“Consumers can be assured that the use of PET beverage bottles is safe and as such, CAP’s concerns on the bottles, both on the health and environment, are simply not sufficient justification for a ban,” he added.
The MPF consists of the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association and Malaysian Petrochemicals Association-Plastic Resins Producers Group.
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