Using the plastic tray liner from meat packaging as a cooking aid
My wife says that she has gotten advice on Facebook that using the plastic absorbent liner from packaging can also be used in the oven to distribute the heat more evenly. I am hesitant to put plastic in the oven in temperatures of 325 F.
Are there BPAs in the material? Is this a safe practice?
Best Answer
I can't imagine there's any benefit in using the tray liner as a cooking aid, anything about them distributing heat evenly is a load of garbage, that's what pans are for. Plus, cooking your food on a sponge of silica gel and plastic that's absorbed a bunch of blood is just plain gross.
It's impossible to say whether the plastics have BPAs, different manufacturers use different plastics so there's no way to know. Regardless of the BPA question melting plastic is never a good thing.
Please don't do this.
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What happens if you cook the plastic meat pad?
So, what happens if you accidentally cook that liquid-soaked pad? In a nutshell: It's probably no big deal. According to the USDA Food Safety and Information Services, as long as the absorbent pad is not melted, torn apart, or broken open after the meat has been cooked, your food is safe to consume.Is the gel in chicken packs toxic?
The butchers that I spoke to explained that the filling of these packets are usually paper pulp, plant fibers or non toxic silicone. They explained that the fact they are approved for use in contact with food that is intended for consumption, means that have to be of a food safe quality, so are non toxic.What happens if you cook ham with the plastic on?
It turns out that this ham is not safe; I will quote the USDA: The plastic bone guard covering the exposed bone is used to keep the bone from breaking the outer wrap. If left on the meat during cooking, a 325 or 350 \xb0F oven temperature may not melt the plastic but still give off an abnormal chemical odor or taste.How do you remove the absorbent pad from chicken?
Although the materials are non-toxic it's still better overall to gently rinse the material off. Scraping gives almost as much opportunity for cross contamination as you could splatter chicken, and cutting parts off is a waste of food.Protein Packaging Trends Asia – Mixed Meat in the Bag
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Answer 2
Personally, I wouldn't even consider it. If it melts both your meat & roasting tin are trash.
I also wouldn't consider it to 'distribute heat more evenly', it will start as a cold spot, then eventually become a steamer. It would probably prevent browning on the underside.
I'd consider it with the same scepticism I do most of the "clever hacks" I read on the interweb… based on hearsay, small test runs done by amateurs & incomplete information.
Unless it melts or tears, however, it's not actually unsafe.
Info from What’s That Absorbent Pad in My Meat Packaging (And What Happens if I Cooked It)?
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