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    • Do Malaysians Know ‘Hot Food in Plastic Bags’ Causes Cancer?

    By on December 29, 2021

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    Hot food packed in red and white plastic bags taken by a food delivery worker at a local restaurant. Pic MWN
     
    Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the number of people eating hot foods carried in plastic bags have increased so much. Ordering food online and getting it delivered to your house or office in plastic bags became one of the new norms in Malaysia. Thousands of motobike grab drivers or food delivery workers are noticed packing hot food in plastic bags from restaurants around the nations. Take aiway food in plastic bags at Mamak restaurants, Malay street stalls and canteens looks so normal here in Malaysia nowadays. As almost many of us have been in lockdown for the past two years since March 2020, they have adopted to the new norm…Take away or online food delivery in plastic bags.
     
    During the recent flash flood that hit Selangor and caused thousands of victims to be stranded, we again noticed many generous people sending or distributing food and drinks packed in plastic bags to the victims. 
     
    Many Malaysians just like to take away food or pack food even in the cheapest plastic bags (such as the red one in the pic above). They do not know the health risk caused by the plastic bags, or perhaps they just ignore that.
     
    “As a foreigner, I was shocked, if not say disgusted, to see some restaurant workers packing roti canai , rice, hot drinks and other food directly in plastic bags and giving them to customers…and it’s ok for them,”a foreign customer told MWN.
     
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    Food in plastic bags ready for delivery or take away. Pic MWN
     
    According to the The New Indian Express, number of people suffering from kidney and throat ailments, cancer and infertility has been increasing in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh due to a large people eating hot foods carried in plastic bags. Everyday, hundreds of patients affected by polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and polystyrene because of eating hot foods carried in plastic bags are visiting King George Government Hospital (KGH) here.

    Most of the patients come from villages, with less knowledge about healthy food or healthy lifestyle.

    “In the last two years, the number of patients suffering from kidney and throat cancer and infertility has been increased markedly at the KGH, said hospital superintendent Dr M Madhusudan Babu.

    “The patients had been consuming tea, coffee, milk, rice and curries carried in plastic bags,” he added.

    Plastic bags in many countries have been totally banned for long, not only because they pose serious environmental problem,but also serious illnesses.

    The plastic bags in which you pack food are very dangerous to your health; they contain polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, that can cause cancer and many other diseases, doctors say. So stop, packing or eating hot food in plastic bags.-Malaysia World News (MWN).

     


    Graduate with a Master of Mass Communication. 10 years working experience in the media and broadcasting.

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