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Home , Plastic container

Proceedings of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences Vol. 56 No 04 (220) 2016

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/pmas.v56i4.846

RESEARCH ON FOOD SAFETY

Ganchimeg L.1, Unursaikhan S.2*, Uyanga G.2 and Delgermaa V.3

1Mongolian National Defence University, Mongolia 2National Center of Public Health, Mongolia 3World Health Organization *corresponding author: e-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

Safety of plastic food container is an issue many diseases such as diabetes, infertility, lies within the understanding of “Individual dermal diseases and neurological defects [3,4]. Safety” or “Community Safety”, which means In 2008, Public Health Institute ran a that liberty and health of the population for research covering 800 households and found a country should be protected from possible that 63% or majority of the participants attacks, natural or technical threads. Recently, answered that they use plastic to enormous attention goes to “blue” and store and transport their drinking water. Heavy “yellow” colored plastic food containers that metal contents in the plastic containers used for are used in daily activities of Mongolians, water storage was 1800-6900 times higher in which are actually designated to store and lead content compare to WHO and Mongolian transport chemicals, due to their toxicity and standards (0.01 mg/l), and average formalin harm caused to human health. content was 37.67-53.43 mg/l. Additionally, According to American scientist’s findings it was determined that chemical content, Biphenyl A, component of plastic container, transferred from the plastic container to the reduces male sex hormones activity, induces water, was increasing depending on length of breast cancer and reduces spem count. storage [5]. Although plastic containers look clean and According to chemical census conducted tidy, chemicals from the containers lowly in 2002 throughout Mongolia, 563 types transfer to the stored food and cause health risk of chemicals were registered and the data and accumulating in the body [1,2]. showed that 94.5 million plastic and The most dangerous thing about the plastic 2.7 thousand tons of lubricating materials container is that any symptoms do not occur were imported in 2003. Population widely immediately. But the long-term usage of uses these plastic containers, designated for plastic containers can affect human health by chemical transportation, for their needs to supporting diseases and causing impact on store and transport yoghurt, milk and dirking normal function of immune system. Scientists water. Therefore, this research was aimed advised that lead and other chemicals released to study plastic containers such as “Big blue from plastic container can be the cause of colored container” for water, “Yellow colored - 89 - Шинжлэх Ухааны Академийн Мэдээ 2016 оны №04 (220) container” for oil and “White colored container” To conduct survey on imported plastic which has no mark and the designation stills containers in Mongolia; remains unclear and other containers most To conduct survey on private companies commonly used among Mongolians. The that produce plastic containers in the territory survey was conducted to determine the safety of Mongolia; level of plastic food container use and it had To conduct survey on plastic containers, following objectives: which are used as household food container; To study legislation and regulation on To conduct survey on plastic containers plastic container in Mongolia and determine available in the market and to determine the challenges; origin of it.

METHODOLOGY

In total of 320 households including local markets in Orkhon, Darkhan-Uul and 210 households residing in the territory of Uvurkhangai provinces. We also analyzed Bayangol, Bayanzurkh, Nalaikh, Chingeltei, the laws, government decision, order of the Songino Khairkhan, Sukhbaatar and Khan- minister, regulation and standards followed Uul districts of Ulaanbaatar city and 110 nationwide in order to study the legislation for households from Orkhon, Darkhan-Uul and plastic container effective within the territory Uvurkhangai province were included in of Mongolia and identify the vital issues faced the survey. Statistical data processing was in the field. performed by SPSS-21 software. In addition, Data on plastic containers imported in we have collected a questionnaire from the Mongolia during 5 years from 2010 to 2015 people who run their small-businesses in the was analyzed by SPSS-21 software. On top local markets such as “Narantuul” International of that, survey and assessment was conducted market, “Kharkhorin” market, “Bumbugur” among private companies that do activities in Trade center in Ulaanbaatar city and largest the production of plastic containers.

RESULTS

There are laws on food, on maintaining Germany, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, Italy and safety of food products, on waste, on hazardous Great Britain and the 97.1% of this products and toxic chemicals and over 30 rules, imported from People’s Republic China. regulations and over 50 national standards that In terms of types of plastic container and are implemented in order to regulate packaging products, 60% of them were imported for in Mongolia. containing food, 34% for laboratory needs, According to the report of Ministry of Food 2.5% for household needs, 2% for medical and Agriculture, Mongolia now produces about devices and remaining 4% is for cosmetics, 30% of used packaging and remaining 70% are children products, and chemicals and for supplied from other countries. It means that we technical purposes (Figure 1). spent over 80 million US dollars in average for Plastic food container accounts for 60% of various types of packaging annually. From the imported products and household plastic 2010 to 2014 and first half of 2015, Mongolia container accounts for 1.9%. imported plastic and plastic based containers from People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, United States of America, Poland, Russian Federation, Federal Republic of

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Figure1. Specification and type of plastic products, by peace’s According to the information from use 3.6 times higher plastic container than Ministry of Food and Agriculture, there are households in the city. But for the plastic over 30 entities with about 700 employees run containers that are used for food product their activities to supply 30% of the packaging storage, the results showed that 83 or 21.5% consumption in Mongolia. For example, the were in the city and 302 or 78.4% were in the products worth 50-60 billion tugrik were rural areas, in total 385 plastic containers. Thus, produced and sold at the market as cardboard households in city use5.3 times higher plastic , fabric and bags, gift , cloth products for than households in bag, all types of , water and drink , rural area. packaging, packaging films, packing wrap, Totally 227 or 84% of plastic containers caps, plastic container fabrication, used by the households in the city for food products, book, newspaper, magazine, area(total=324) were bought from the market, fiber sacks, bags, labels, tissue, 97 or 16% were from other sources whereas notebook, disposable plastic cups, plate for rural area, it was 284 or 82% from market and . terephthalate and 61 or 18% from other sources. By simple and polypropylene plastic are used for the eye observation of plastic container conditions production of plastic containers as stated in used for water storage and transportation we international standards and there is still no have found that 13.2% of those in the rural specific laboratory to test the raw materials area and 1.8% for those in the city area had used in the production of plastic containers in poor rating. 12.5% of plastic water containers Mongolia. in the rural area and 2.6% in the city area Research was conducted with total 297 were rated poor and it clearly illustrates need participants from city and rural areas and it for developing habit to maintain hygiene and was found that there were in total 385 plastic sanitation plastic containers for rural citizens. containers used for transporting water, mare When there is small amount of water remains milk’s drink, milk and yoghurt for the food in the dirty container, it can be a favorable consumption. In terms of the geographical condition for bacteria to grow causing further location, 83 or 21.5% of them were in the contamination on water. city and 302 or 78.4% were in the rural areas indicating that households in the rural area

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Figure2. Water transporting container hygiene, by Figure3. Water storage container hygiene, by location location

We surveyed 7 vendors in the market in were imported from foreign countries order to test their knowledge on whether plastic (People’s Republic of China, Germany, container affects human health, whether they Malaysia, Russian Federation, Republic of give attention to the labeling and signs on the Korea) with volume of 20, 50, 120, 160, 220 plastic containers when they sell it the answer and 300 liters; and 52.9% were supplied from was no for all participants. It shows that their domestic sources (MCS, Uguuj, pastry factory, knowledge on these issues is not enough. restaurant, individual, emulsion container) via Additionally, survey was conducted on plastic certain people from food and leather factories containers sold in the market. We found that and mining companies. Average volume for there are 38 types of containers in total sold the plastic containers imported from foreign in 2 markets and their average volume was 60 countries was 100 liters and average volume liters. And 17 types or 55.3% of them were new of plastic containers from domestic sources and 16 or 44.7% were old, used containers. was 20 liters. In terms of sources of containers, 47.1%

CONCLUSIONS

Although there are laws, regulations and chemicals. The related authorities should standards to regulate packaging in Mongolia, check whether entities and organizations there are no connections in between and dispose them as stipulated in the law. implementation of them seems insufficient. It is required to establish a system to Therefore, it is required to develop general issue permission for private sector entities to policy about the disposal of plastic chemical operate a production of plastic containers after container and monitor the implementation. determining whether raw materials used in the The documents such as “Regulation production are polyethylene terephthalate and on Importing and exporting, cross-border polypropylene plastic or not. transportation, production and trade of The policy and the government support Hazardous and Toxic chemicals” and “Storage, are needed for food specified plastic container transportation, utilization and disposal of producers. Hazardous and Toxic chemicals” do not fully Use of plastic containers among regulate the detailed concerns about importing, Mongolians is very broad because it is disposal and trade of empty containers for light and comfortable to use, indicating that - 92 - Proceedings of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences Vol. 56 No 04 (220) 2016 people’s choice does not depend on price of 55% of plastic containers sold in the rural area the product. There is lack of knowledge about markets. labeling of plastic container, its health impact It is must to organize a training and other and adequate use in both urban and rural areas. advertising activates to improve knowledge 44.9% of the plastic containers sold about harmful effects from plastic containers, in the trade markets are old (used) and it own health protection for vendors and for allows an opportunity for the citizens to buy people who buy it. the containers that are not specified for food Safety of in Mongolia storage. is lost and it is at the level of health risk to Narantuul International Trade Center in citizens. Ulaanbaatar city is the first point of selling of

REFERENCES

1 Food safety and contaminants and toxins ed. by J.P.F. Mello, CABI Publishing Cambridge, 2003 2 International food safety Handbook, Van Der Hegiden, K.M.Fishbein, Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, Basel 1999 3 Nutritional and Toxicological Aspects of Food Safety, Freidman, M.Plenum, press. New York 1985 4 “Toxicology of foods and Health” Tsevegsuren.N., Saruul.I., Ulaanbaatar, 2004 5 “Water quality and hygiene” Report of study, Public Health Institute, 2008

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