Plastic in food is ultimately impossible to avoid completely But not all plastics in all circumstances have the same Here are few ways it is helpful to think about if you are embarking on a plastic minimization journey: - temperature matters. Plastic exposed to a heat source or to hot food will degrade (and leech into food) more quickly. Eg I’m much less concerned about a plastic conveyor belt when it transports cold food vs hot food. - surface area matters. High surface area food (ie granulated food) leads to more plastic uptake and dissolving. It’s also abrasive which accelerates degradation. Eg the augur (pic related) was originally coated in teflon. But it pushes ground up corn (high surface area) at moderate temp and high pressure. Therefore the teflon would quickly rub off. So we got it replaced with an uncoated stainless augur. - plastic type matters. Some plastic is made solely of hydrocarbons (hdpe, uhmw). These are not particularly toxic or reactive. But others (notably Teflon’s which are PFAS and vinyl) contain other more reactive molecules (chlorine, fluorine) and should be avoided at all costs - oil vs water. Plastic is a covalent molecule and dissolves more readily in oil which is also covalent. Water not so much. So plastic touching a fat should be eradicated. This is why, by way of example, plastic in a frying system should be mercilessly removed. It’s high temp and surrounded by liquid (hugh surface area) fat (covalent) If only you knew how much plastic is typically put in fryers you would cry… At @Masa_Chips we take plastic avoidance just as seriously as seed oil avoidance, because it’s not just about seed oils but making truly healthy food. Unfortunate reality is others are unlikely to do the same.