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Globally, the consumption of plastics has experienced exponential growth. In Panama, plastic containers used to preserve food are imported, and many of these products do not declare their origin or the type of polymer with which they were made, which represents a risk to food safety due to the migration of compounds and other additives when exposed to conditions that may promote these migrations. This research combines a scientific-social approach in which the composition of polymers used as food containers was identified using spectroscopic techniques, with the aim of verifying the correspondence between their actual composition and that declared by manufacturers. The results revealed that 36% of the containers lacked information on the type of material used and that only 2% of the plastics analyzed showed discrepancies with respect to what was declared by the manufacturers. Surveys were conducted among a sector of the population in Panama to assess their knowledge of plastic classification and the risks associated with the use of unknown plastics to their health. It was found that 44.7% of respondents do not consider the type of plastic when purchasing food products, and although more than half (50.3%) have heard about classification symbols, few are able to recognize them properly. This information allows for the transformation of consumption habits among the Panamanian population toward more sustainable models based on information about the correct and responsible use of plastic materials intended for contact with food.
Este obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional.
