There are many disposable bowls on the market. So, how should we choose them?
Author:
When choosing disposable bowls, the following aspects can be considered:
Material Safety
Plastic Bowls
Polypropylene (PP) Material: This is a kind of plastic bowl. It has certain heat resistance. Under normal usage conditions, it generally won't release harmful substances. However, harmful chemical substances may also be precipitated when the temperature is relatively high.
Polystyrene (PS) Material: This material has good transparency but poor heat resistance. It will release harmful substances such as styrene monomers under high temperatures. Therefore, disposable PS bowls are generally only suitable for holding food at room temperature or low temperatures.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Material: It's best not to use disposable bowls made of this material. Because some plasticizers may be added during the production process, and these plasticizers may migrate into the food when exposed to high temperatures or in contact with greasy food, causing harm to human health.
Paper Bowls
Pure Wood Pulp Paper Bowls: If paper bowls are made of pure wood pulp, they are relatively safe and environmentally friendly. However, pure wood pulp paper bowls have poor water resistance, so they are usually coated on the inside. A common coating is polyethylene (PE). This coating can effectively prevent liquid leakage, but there is a problem that it can't withstand high temperatures. High temperatures will cause chemical changes inside and thus damage the stability of the PE coating.
Bamboo Fiber Bowls
Bamboo Fiber Bowls: Bamboo fiber is a natural material and has good biodegradability and safety in itself. Because bamboo itself has its own adhesiveness, chemical substances don't need to be added during the production process like paper to achieve the effects of being waterproof and oil-proof. Bowls made of bamboo fiber are harder than paper bowls and are suitable for people who have high requirements for quality. Bowls made of bamboo fiber can be used within the temperature range from minus 50 degrees Celsius to 280 degrees Celsius. I have tested many bowls. When taken out from a low temperature of minus 50 degrees Celsius and immediately put into high temperature for heating, only the bamboo fiber bowls remained unchanged while the bowls made of other materials all changed. If you are interested, you can also give it a try.
Quality and Strength
Observe the appearance of the disposable bowls and see whether the bowl walls are thick and even. Disposable bowls with too thin bowl walls are prone to breakage and may deform or even crack when filled with food. For example, some plastic bowls of poor quality will deform with just a little external force applied.
For disposable bowls with lids, you can check the tightness between the lid and the bowl body. Good tightness can prevent food from spilling out and being contaminated by the outside. For example, when carrying soups, disposable bowls with good tightness can effectively avoid soup leakage.
Suitability for Use
Choose disposable bowls according to the types of food to be held. If it's for holding liquid food such as soups and beverages, choose bowls with appropriate depth, which are not easy to tip over and have good waterproof performance. For solid food such as fried rice and salads, you can choose bowls with regular shapes and appropriate capacities. If you need to heat food in the microwave oven, you must choose disposable bowls marked with the words "microwaveable".
Environmental Protection
From the perspective of environmental protection, bamboo fiber bowls are relatively more environmentally friendly because they are easier to decompose in the natural environment.
