Supermarkets in China continue to use banned plastics

Nearly 20% of supermarkets in several big cities in China are still using plastics which have been banned to wrap meat and cooked foods in China, according to new research.
The new research was conducted by the International Food Packaging Association.
In the last six months, the agency visited nearly 46 supermarkets in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, where it found that almost one in five supermarkets were still using plastic wrapping made of PVC for fresh meat and cooked food. China banned the use of PVC to wrap meat, cooked food and fatty foods in 2005, as (Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) DEHP, a compound of PVC may be harmful to humans.
The International Food Packaging Association executive vice-president Dong-Jinshi said DEHP is not soluble in water but soluble in oil. Therefore, PVC plastic wrap cannot be used for the packaging of fatty foods (PackagingNews, 11 January 2012).