Snopes, www.snopes.com, is a website dedicated to debunking urban legends. Check the various stories and you’ll see that there’s usually a grain of truth that gets twisted or embellished as the email gets circulated.

For example, you may have received a warning that “research shows that microwaving foods in plastic containers releases cancer-causing agents into the foods.” Often, it goes on to quote a doctor or even someone connected to Johns Hopkins University.

The email goes on to explain that dioxin, a known carcinogen, in the plastic is released when it’s heated or frozen and combines with food, particularly if it contains fats.

The truth of the matter is that there are no dioxins in plastic—and freezing actually works against the release of chemicals, according to Rolf Halden, PhD, PE. He’s quoted on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health webpage refuting the commonly distributed email. (Visit www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/articles/halden_dioxins.html for the whole story.)

On the Snopes site, Dr. George Pauli, a leading Food and Drug Administration scientist, acknowledges that some plasticizers do migrate into foods, particularly those containing a lot of fat, oil or sugars. But he goes on to add that research has found no ill effects from consumption of plasticizers in FDA-approved plastic wraps or from freezing or re-using plastic water bottles.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (www.fsis.usda.gov) takes a cautious approach and suggests using ONLY plastics that are labeled microwave safe in the microwave oven. The site states that “Plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs, take-out containers, whipped topping bowls, and other one-time use containers should not be used in microwave ovens. These containers can warp or melt, possibly causing harmful chemicals to migrate into the food.”

Also, “Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper and white microwave-safe paper towels should be safe to use. Do not let plastic wrap touch foods during microwaving.” Even so, these are common sense cautions.

Another common email is the one that states “Drug products containing PPA (phenylpropanolamine) were recalled due to FDA concerns over a possible connection to strokes.” It then goes on to list many over-the-counter cold medications and diet aids.

This is a case of the information being true, but outdated. The FDA issued the original public health advisory warning about PPA in November 2000. Since then, most of the products containing it have been discontinued or reformulated voluntarily by the drug companies. For more detailed information, visit the FDA’s webpage about PPA–www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/default.htm.

When it comes to health advice by email, keep a few grains of salt handy and do some research. You may find some questionable info in your inbox, but it only takes a few clicks on reputable websites to check it.