[centerchannel68]

http://www.core77.com/blog/object_cu...to_go_5896.asp

That is freaking awesome.

[Dakar²]

Damn, that's cooler and funnier than anything I might have said here.

[Big Mac]

Nice.

[andi*pandi]

ingenious!

[Railroader]

I use them to store the various sand paper discs for my orbital sanders.

[Dakar²]

Not delicious enough.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

I use them to store the various sand paper discs for my orbital sanders.

[Homer Simpson]

mmm... sandpaper. (tilt head back and drool) ggaarrrgghh!

[/Homer Simpson]

[Railroader]

I wish I was cool. NOT!!! [/cheesy 90's comedy]

[osiris]

I have the larger spindles - AKA Family Size.

[indigoimac]

Brilliant! Cue Guiness Guys.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

I wish I was cool. NOT!!! [/cheesy 90's comedy]

I'm not trying to make fun of you, but since the original post involved using them to store food and I like The Simpsons, that's the first thing that came to mind.

[starman]

Originally Posted by Dakar² 

Damn, that's cooler and funnier than anything I might have said here.

You're probably right

[Dakar²]

Originally Posted by starman 

You're probably right

Hey! Post here more often and then you get to rip on me!

*grumble grumble*

[Judge_Fire]

Heh, nice idea. Not sure about the safety of the plastic, though.

[residentEvil]

once you wash it with mild soap how could be any less safe the the plastic you get from a restaurant/fast food/deli for your food?

[imitchellg5]

That's a really good idea. I have a ton lying around in the summer from buying a million DVDs.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

once you wash it with mild soap how could be any less safe the the plastic you get from a restaurant/fast food/deli for your food?

Softeners and other chemical additives it might exude.

Food-safe plastics are subject to a whole slew of regulations that don't affect cheap disposable computer accessory packaging.

[peeb]

Yep - food safe plastics are tested for not leaching - not so others. I'm frankly skeptical about plastics and food in general - I think we're storing up pain there, but plastics that are not even rated for food safety? No thank you!

[residentEvil]

ah, gotcha. didn't think about that.

[Judge_Fire]

I'm a big fan of plastics as a material, but there are indeed unknowns of various sorts that still need more research. The BPA controversy is still going strong and hopefully we learn more about that soon. Many materials that haven't been approved for food safety might also have issues with flame retardant chemicals.

We're all guinea pigs here, so it's good to keep an eye on the chemicals we're being subjected to. I try to go for glass containers whenever possible, probably only to learn about their huge health hazards in 20 years or so.

[peeb]

Glass has been around for a thousand years or so - I'm more comfortable with it for that reason.

[centerchannel68]

People fear what they don't understand.

[analogika]

People know better from experience.

Ignorance is bliss.

Rob, I'm not gonna insult you, but that post is just ****ing typical.

[awaspaas]

Plastics used for food packaging are tested for acceptable levels of plasticizers - chemicals that make the plastic bendable and less rigid - such as phthalates. See the link for a nice survey of their studied health effects. As analogika said, plastics used for non-food packaging are not subject to the same regulations.

That said, storing a bagel between breakfast and lunch probably won't do anything, but if you store it between breakfast and lunch every day for years, who knows.

[analogika]

No no, it's just people fearing what they don't understand.

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by analogika 

People know better from experience.

Ignorance is bliss.

Rob, I'm not gonna insult you, but that post is just ****ing typical.

Really? Have you taken a course specifically all about plastics? What does PTFE stand for? Is it a thermoset or thermoplastic? I'm guessing you know dick about plastic, thus think that it's all dangerous. Kinda like chicks who have no concept of electricity, and freak out when I grab their battery terminals on their car and start screaming.

I'm not saying these are 100% safe, but I'm not goign to say just because they aren't plastics used specifically for food that they're UNSAFE, either. I'll find out for you next week.

[analogika]

Dude.

Get the **** off your carousel.

As a matter of fact, I *have* heard about phthalates (softeners), which are in a hell of a lot of plastics, because they were in the news a while ago. I don't want them near my food, and not because *I* don't understand them, but because it seems nobody's quite sure about them, other than that they kill lab rats.

It also seems to me fairly obvious that plastics used in food containers are held to a *slightly* different standard in terms of impurities than some cheap CD-R container.

Tell us, o Rob: what kinds of impurities can be found in cheap plastics? What potentially toxic substances might there be in plastics of indeterminate origin, used for non-food disposable containers?

Naturally, I don't have the post-grad degree in biochem that you obviously have, since you are obviously in a position to patronize anybody leery of non-food-safe plastics as somebody who "fears what they don't understand".

I therefore bow before your ****ing expertise, Rob, and will not bother continuing to read THIS: Phthalates and Human Health: Demystifying the Risks of Plastic-softening Chemicals

I await your counsel.

Sincerely,

Eco-delusional in ****ing-Hippy-Land.

[centerchannel68]

Whatever man. I'm just saying that you need to find out what materials it's made out of before deeming it unsafe. And OH YOU HEARD IT IN THE NEWS?! OMG! We all know the news never spin stuff to make things look more dangerous, or that the media is the way it is because of the supposed fear and hysteria of humans.

PS: You are one of my favorite personas on these forums. Even if you always rip on me. Not sure why I'm telling you this, just saying I think you're a cool dude, and it annoys me when you jump to conclusions like this.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

Whatever man. I'm just saying that you need to find out what materials it's made out of before deeming it unsafe.

Well, the point I'm making is precisely that you have NO IDEA what materials might or might not be in that plastic, THEREFORE it must be deemed unsafe.

That's the point of "food-safe" logos on containers!

[analogika]

(thanks for the flowers. I think more often than not, we're charging right past each other. )

[hayesk]

While it's a cute idea, I have to agree with analogika. After chuckling, the first thing I thought of was "I don't think that's food-safe plastic"

[Doofy]

As the owner of a company which sells food-safe plastic shovels, brush heads and workwear (yes, they make food-safe safety wellies), I can state that analogika is 100% right.

[Railroader]

Having taken two plastic engineering classes on plastics, I concur with Analogika. Food safe plastics contain different plasticizers and other catalytic components.

All plastics are not created equal. Although the basic components of plastic are entirely organic, various chemicals added to aid in manufacturing often are not.

[anonymac]

I stored my bagel in my CDR spindle like this at work for the last 5 years, and now I have terminal bone cancer. True story.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Having taken two plastic engineering classes on plastics, I concur with Analogika. Food safe plastics contain different plasticizers and other catalytic components.

All plastics are not created equal. Although the basic components of plastic are entirely organic, various chemicals added to aid in manufacturing often are not.

There is no reason to disagree with you or analogika on this. However, what plastics ARE CD spindles made of, and are those particular materials also food-safe? That's apparently what the currently unpleasant discourse is about.

Looking at the (numerous) spindles at hand, I'm seeing mostly polypropylene, with some polystyrene and some ABS thrown in. Are there actually different grades of polypropylene or polystyrene that are or are not food safe? How might one tell from the package? I'm kind of suspicious of ABS because of how unstable it tends to be in sunlight. I have seen a whole lot of takeout containers made from polypropylene and polystyrene (both dense and foamed), so it is reasonable to believe that at least SOME of these materials are safe for food storage.

On the other hand, my son has a sort of "uber dice roller" he's put together with a "25 CD" size spindle, which seems to be a perfectly safe use for the gadget. Me? I have a "100 CD" size spindle that's nearly full of "freebie" CDs I've received in the mail. When it's full, I'll have enough CDs to build a "nucular lazer shield" to protect me from the orbiting spacewheel mothership's invasive mind control rays. Or a butt load of mobiles to keep birds away from the tomato plants...

[TheoCryst]

It's so sad that a post about something as excellent as bagels can spiral into yet another little feud...

However, I agree with analogika: I'm not gonna do this unless I'm positive that the plastic used in the spindles is safe (or at least as safe as the FDA says is safe enough for food).

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by anonymac 

I stored my bagel in my CDR spindle like this at work for the last 5 years, and now I have terminal bone cancer. True story.

Well, bye then. You're gonna die soon, right ?

-t

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Having taken two plastic engineering classes on plastics, I concur with Analogika. Food safe plastics contain different plasticizers and other catalytic components.

All plastics are not created equal. Although the basic components of plastic are entirely organic, various chemicals added to aid in manufacturing often are not.

And I disagree. For instance, I'm sure metal silverware has some sort of standard, but just because something is not a piece of certified silverware does NOT automatically mean it's dangerous. Jumping to conclusions is not a way to understand anything.

[OwlBoy]

I was ready to come in here and say 'lame'. But I can't… That is cool.

-Owl

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

And I disagree. For instance, I'm sure metal silverware has some sort of standard, but just because something is not a piece of certified silverware does NOT automatically mean it's dangerous. Jumping to conclusions is not a way to understand anything.

We all have to take leaps of doubt sometimes. In this case, I would be rather a little too careful than too trusting.

-t

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by hayesk 

While it's a cute idea, I have to agree with analogika. After chuckling, the first thing I thought of was "I don't think that's food-safe plastic"

Do you think Styrofoam is food safe? I'm just curious.

PS: Nobody is suggesting microwaving anything in these cases. That'd be dumb. But I fail to see how 'resting' on some plastic is going to have any noticeable side effects.

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

We all have to take leaps of doubt sometimes. In this case, I would be rather a little too careful than too trusting.

-t

That's fine.... say something like "Gee...cool idea, but I wouldn't do that unless I figured out what plastic it was, looked up it's properties, and deemed it safe" instead of "OMG ITS NOT FOOD CERTIFIED ITS GIVING EVERYONE CANCER!

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

But I fail to see how 'resting' on some plastic is going to have any noticeable side effects.

LOL, yeah. Marie Curie failed to see how something she couldn't even see and touch could evar be harmful. Well, she learned her lesson

-t

[centerchannel68]

So I'm assuming you must then, logically, wash your hands after handling a CD case, everytime, right?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

So I'm assuming you must then, logically, wash your hands after handling a CD case, everytime, right?

No, but I don't eat my hands after handling a CD case. Do you ?

-t

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

There is no reason to disagree with you or analogika on this. However, what plastics ARE CD spindles made of, and are those particular materials also food-safe? That's apparently what the currently unpleasant discourse is about.

Looking at the (numerous) spindles at hand, I'm seeing mostly polypropylene, with some polystyrene and some ABS thrown in. Are there actually different grades of polypropylene or polystyrene that are or are not food safe? How might one tell from the package? I'm kind of suspicious of ABS because of how unstable it tends to be in sunlight. I have seen a whole lot of takeout containers made from polypropylene and polystyrene (both dense and foamed), so it is reasonable to believe that at least SOME of these materials are safe for food storage.

It's not the "core" material that you need to be concerned with. It is the modifiers. Food-safe plastic containers use food safe-plastic modifiers. Plasticizers and mold release agents.

I would not think a plastic container meant to hold non-food items would use food-safe additives. This includes CD-R spindles.

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

No, but I don't eat my hands after handling a CD case. Do you ?

-t

Nope, but if you think any 'dangerous chemicals' are going to transfer onto the bread/sandwich, then by your own rationale those same dangerous chemicals would also transfer directly onto your hands.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

And I disagree. For instance, I'm sure metal silverware has some sort of standard, but just because something is not a piece of certified silverware does NOT automatically mean it's dangerous. Jumping to conclusions is not a way to understand anything.

Metal and Plastics are worlds apart. Poor comparison.

Actually, you are the one jumping to conclusions. You are jumping to the conclusion that it is safe. Some of us have actual educations to back up what we say.

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

It's not the "core" material that you need to be concerned with. It is the modifiers. Food-safe plastic containers use food safe-plastic modifiers. Plasticizers and mold release agents.

I would not think a plastic container meant to hold non-food items would use food-safe additives. This includes CD-R spindles.

Surely if these chemical compounds could easily rub off the plastic CD spindles, they would have a warning on them that says "WARNING, the state of california has delcared that a chemical in this product may cause cancer. Please wash your hands after handling".

However, there is no such warning. Also, if you guys honestly believe all this, you sure as hell better be washing your hands after handlign them, because if a bagel SITTING on a piece of plastic is enough to get your little hearts pitter pattering with worry about cancer, you're definitely getting those chemicals all over your hands when you handle them.

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Metal and Plastics are worlds apart. Poor comparison.

Actually, you are the one jumping to conclusions. You are jumping to the conclusion that it is safe. Some of us have actual educations to back up what we say.

I'm not saying it's safe. I said it's stupid to automatically assume it's not safe, just because it wasn't meant for food. I stated that it'd be a good idea to find out what plastic it is before making statements without knowledge and information to back them up.