Is it safe to eat food that was heated in plastic wrap to the point the plastic wrap flamed?

I accidentally used plastic wrap instead of foil wrap over the salmon in the toaster oven. There was a flame. When i checked the salmon, the cling wrap was gone. Did it melt into thge salmon? Is the salmon safe to eat?

food-safety salmon

Best Answer

There are multiple types of film wrap, which are different plastics. No matter what yours was made from, it almost certainly partially burned up, partially melted, and partially had other heat-based reactions leaving unknown remains on your food, possibly including dioxins, which are quite toxic.

In any of these cases, I would not risk finding out.

Discard the fish.

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Can you eat food if plastic wrap has melted?

Back on the other side of the wrap, the American Plastics Council cites a former FDA supervisory chemist, Dr. Charles Breder: "If you were to accidentally eat food containing melted plastic, you wouldn't suffer any harmful effects to your health, but your food probably wouldn't taste too appetizing."

Is Saran Wrap toxic when heated?

And while we're on the subject, be sure to throw away single-use containers after they've been heated once. Reheating them may also cause chemicals in the plastic to leach into your food. Andrew Weil, M.D.

What happens when you heat plastic wrap?

Unless stated on the product safe for oven or microwave, food plastic wrap is not recommended to be heated. Untreated plastic wrap can release chemicals and melt when heated.

Is it safe to cover hot food with plastic wrap?

Never cover something warm and put in the refrigerator. At the very least poke holes in aluminum or plastic wrap to allow heat to vent. Don't over crowd your refrigerator with hot food. Don't let food sit out for hours at a time after it's cooked.

Plastic Wrap \u0026 Microwave Safety : Safety Tips

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Images: Erik Mclean, Gustavo Fring, Gustavo Fring, Erik Mclean