Why Should Plastic Packaging Be Replaced with Metal Packaging?

Does long-term use of disposable plastic products to pack hot food/hot soup have any impact on the body?

Why does long-term use of disposable plastic products have such a big impact on health?

This is mainly because long-term exposure to disposable plastic products will change the intestinal flora, trigger inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress, and then lead to myocardial damage and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, endocrine disrupting chemicals often contained in plastic products, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates (PAEs), can also interfere with hormone balance in the body and affect cardiovascular health.

In addition, high temperatures accelerate the release of harmful substances in plastics. For example, microwave heating for 3 minutes can release 4.2 million microplastic particles per square centimeter of container.

The harm of plastic products goes far beyond this

Takeaway boxes with hot soup, plastic cups with hot drinks, plastic lunch boxes heated in microwaves, and bottled water exposed to the sun for a long time... These scenes are not unfamiliar in our daily lives. It turns out that we drink them every day.

1. Cause liver damage

In June 2025, researchers from the University of California, Davis, reported a new study at the annual meeting of the American Nutrition Society. The study found that microplastics ingested through food or beverages can cause systemic glucose intolerance in mouse models, liver damage, increased intestinal permeability and elevated endotoxin levels.

2. Causes lung damage

In 2024, a study published in the Journal of Chemical Engineering by Academician Li Lanjuan's team found that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanoplastics from food and air sources are toxic to the lungs and liver, including inflammatory cell infiltration, bleeding, cell swelling, etc.

3. Affects brain health

In January 2025, a study published in Science Advances confirmed that microplastic particles will be swallowed by immune cells, then flow with the blood and eventually stay in the blood vessels of the brain, which may cause blood vessel blockage, cerebral thrombosis, and neurobehavioral abnormalities.

4. Increased risk of stroke

In 2024, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that microplastics and nanoplastics have invaded carotid artery tissue, which increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and death. Data showed that people who detected these plastics had a 4.53 times higher risk of heart disease, stroke, or all-cause death in the next 34 months of follow-up compared to those who did not detect microplastics and nanoplastics in their arteries.

5. Causes blood tumors

A study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials in 2024 found that all participants had microplastics in their bone marrow, most of which were between 20 and 100 microns in size. Zhang Shaokai, the corresponding author of the paper and director of the Tumor Prevention and Treatment Research Office of Henan Cancer Hospital, said in an interview in 2024 that the study found that micro-nano plastics exist in the human bone marrow, which may be another important risk factor for the occurrence of blood tumors.

Closed-loop recycling advantages of metal packaging

Irreplaceability of metals

• Barrier revolution: The barrier rate of metals to oxygen and water vapor is more than 10 times that of plastics, greatly reducing the risk of food oxidation and deterioration. Especially for sensitive products such as infant food and health products, metal cans can extend the shelf life to more than 24 months.
• Chemical stability: No risk of plasticizer dissolution, eliminating the problem of bisphenol A migration. Japan's Kirin Group introduces chemically recycled resins in PET bottles for alcoholic beverages, but metal containers are still considered the "gold standard" for high-end alcohol.
• Physical protection upgrade: Metal compressive strength is 5-8 times that of plastic, and the damage rate in e-commerce transportation can be reduced by 60%. Although GenScript Biotech uses paper solutions in packaging upgrades, high-end medical devices still rely on the impact resistance of metal containers.

Conclusion