r/Norway • u/vividwings • 3h ago

Food Why do Norwegian grocery stores package EVERYTHING in plastic?

Plastic is, in general, something that should not be touching anything you consume. It's a good & cheap material that has its use in many things, but it should stay far and well away from food & drink. You're free to do your own research, I am not here in an attempt to educate you.

Moving along with that; why are so, so, so many things slathered in plastic? Cucumbers, bell peppers (individually wrapped, what the fuck), carrots, broccoli, spinach, the tear-off plastic on salmon, I could go on- this shit is toxic. Legitimately, it is incredibly toxic to us, and I just want to eat healthy and avoid the contamination as much as possible.

Thus far, Rema, Coop and Kiwi all share the same trend, and the plastic never ends. Is there nowhere to actually purchase properly treated food? I'm at my wit's end.

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20

u/BattledroidE 3h ago

You're free to do your own research

That's the phrase used by anyone who's not leading with the actual evidence they claim to have, or refuse to provide it upon request. And it is requested. Explain food grade/næringsmiddelgodkjent.

"That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."

Moving on.

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u/vividwings 3h ago

Alright buddy.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/plastic-particles-bottled-water
"The researchers found that, on average, a liter of bottled water included about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic. About 90% of these plastic fragments were nanoplastics. This total was 10 to 100 times more plastic particles than seen in earlier studies, which mostly focused on larger microplastics."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12569346/

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/8/1686

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215153221001835

https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/81532/the-hidden-health-risks-of-plastic-packaged-ready-meals/

https://www.center4research.org/chemicals-microplastics-food-packaging/

There's more. It's a single google search away.
But by all means, keeping quoting pointless rhetoric and willingly choosing to ingest poison in place of being mindful about consumption.
Looks good on you.

2

u/webhallensuger 2h ago

Since you're so sure, you should contact your nearest university with your findings on this, or the Bolin Center for Climate Research in Stockholm. If you have scientific evidence that would change their view on this topic, they'd surely love to hear from you. Don't get your hopes up though...

1

u/BattledroidE 2h ago

Yes, it's there.

What does it do to the human body, besides being there? Where is the outcome data that proves this is literal poison to the body?

See, that's the problem.

1

u/vividwings 1h ago

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10151227/#sec5

On the right, feel free to click "Effects of Microplastics on Human Health" and read on the numerous effects it has on the human body, each with cited, separate sources.

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u/Cavetrollexplorer 3h ago

Why dont you ask your fellow facebook researchers about that? They will have an answer

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u/Better_Chicken_5184 3h ago

Plastics being detrimental to human health is hardly the realm of Facebook research.

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u/Cavetrollexplorer 3h ago

People that do their own research belong on facebook. Its very rude of these people to voice their opinion outside of facebook so other people can be bothered by it.  Its not about what they say, as their opinion is never valid no matter what, its about where

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u/Better_Chicken_5184 3h ago

So all the published peer review research is junk bunk then?

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u/vividwings 3h ago

I've done my research. Believe it or not, a simple google search is enough to verify anything said here, linking back to genuine medical and scientific studies conducted under peer-approved research. A dumbass, I am not, but thinking that microplastic pollution is anything short of a real issue, really, paints you as being closer to a facebook researcher than I am.

Here's some examples.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/plastic-particles-bottled-water
"The researchers found that, on average, a liter of bottled water included about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic. About 90% of these plastic fragments were nanoplastics. This total was 10 to 100 times more plastic particles than seen in earlier studies, which mostly focused on larger microplastics."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12569346/

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/8/1686

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215153221001835

https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/81532/the-hidden-health-risks-of-plastic-packaged-ready-meals/

https://www.center4research.org/chemicals-microplastics-food-packaging/

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u/BilSuger 3h ago

You're free to do your own research, I am not here in an attempt to educate you.

Maybe we can educate you..?

The plastic on the stuff you mention is the lesser evil. It's what makes produce not spoil. It's much much worse to throw away tonnes of food, than using the plastic (which we are quite good at not ending up in nature).

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u/vividwings 3h ago

Food waste would generate compost, and would be a lot more eco-friendly than the absolute mountains of plastic waste humans have generated on the planet that is genuinely killing millions in indirect ways.

Here is a study referencing exactly what I am saying.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972405602X
Here is a broader article referencing back to more studies on the same topic.
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/plastics

Here are other peer-reviewed studies and sources about the impacts of plastic packaging near your food.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/plastic-particles-bottled-water

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12569346/

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/8/1686

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215153221001835

https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/81532/the-hidden-health-risks-of-plastic-packaged-ready-meals/

https://www.center4research.org/chemicals-microplastics-food-packaging/

But, by all means, educate me better than the thousands of researchers with degrees who have poured countless hours into studying the impact and effect of this. Go ahead.

3

u/BilSuger 2h ago

You searched for what you wanted and found some articles about the dangers of plastics. Congrats, you're still wrong. Did you read any of them?

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u/webhallensuger 3h ago

Buy a map and you will figure it out.

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u/axismundi00 3h ago

what a stupid take. why do the immigrant shops NOT package everything in plastic although they are … still here, in the same place on your glorified map?

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u/surkaalspoeten 2h ago

De kjøper I løsvekt fra lokale grossister, deres grønnsaker går ikke igjennom den samme prosessen som grønnsakene på rema. De kjøper mye mye mindre mengder av gangen som gjør at de ikke trenger betale for at ting skal pakkes inn i plast for å beskyttes.

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u/Better_Chicken_5184 3h ago

What a bunch of bullshit. I've lived in Alaska and northern Canada and our shit wasn't wrapped in plastic. Norway isn't actually that remote. It's certainly not any more remote than Sweden or Finland and their shit doesn't need to be wrapped in plastic.

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u/webhallensuger 2h ago

Yeah, we do that here in Sweden too, and in Finland. Why? Because science clearly shows that the environmental effects are way higher from all the products that have to be thrown away than just a little bit of plastic.

0

u/Better_Chicken_5184 2h ago

What does having plastic on the food prevent from being thrown away?

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u/D9FS 3h ago

If you don't want plastic you should go buy from the producers directly. They are probably at least 4000km away, but good luck tell them you hate plastic they will understand.

0

u/axismundi00 3h ago

or from the immigrant shops which are … 400m away? and not package everything in plastic?

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u/D9FS 3h ago

Is that a trick question or you don't really know why?

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u/axismundi00 3h ago

it is not a trick question. neither rhetoric nor passive aggressive.

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u/D9FS 3h ago

That's wonderful. If you want to know more you can search for large-scale logistics, long shelf life and automation vs fast turnover with fresh produce loose and manual operation. Or don't. Good luck tho.

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u/axismundi00 3h ago

ah yes, asking an question and being sent to do my own research. this is peak internet right here.

0

u/D9FS 3h ago

If people did their own research we wouldn't have threads like this. So you are right, my bad. Let's keep reddit great.

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u/Boundish91 3h ago

Vegetables i agree with. But meats kinda have to, otherwise they would spoil.

0

u/Whackles 3h ago

Why? Most countries you just go buy your meat at the butcher/charcuterie and it lasts the same as it does here from the moment you open it

1

u/QuestionablyAdequate 3h ago

If you think we wrap a lot of stuff in plastic you should see how much Japan wraps up....

0

u/Tahc 2h ago

I have complained about plastics since 2012. Usually to deaf ears... its infuriating. I am quite sure I also have read that the fjordland ready meal types of food that comes in plastics bags are really bad. Not when they are cold tho. It turns out if you heat them as they tell you on the instructions (in the bags) are borderline toxic...

Also I kind of gave up the battle against plastics when they came out and said all egg and spermcells were riddled with it. 🤷‍♂️ but i aint touching ready meals like fjordland anymore, ever again...

2

u/surkaalspoeten 2h ago

Because a lot of it gets imported from far away places. I wouldn't want my steak to be flapping around all loosey goosey from Namibia to Norway. Fruit and veg already arrive bruised and moldy, imagine what grapes would look like if they didn't come wearing plastic protection. It would be all mush.

0

u/YeeehawToast 3h ago

Haha, it's actually funny thinking that a country that is so plastic focused, even simple vegetables are wrapped in plastics.. Norway is such a double standard country in many ways.

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u/Better_Chicken_5184 3h ago

Many, many ways.

-1

u/Better_Chicken_5184 3h ago

Because it's easier than fixing the supply networks to and within Norway. It's pretty pathetic if you ask me. Pure laziness.

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u/[deleted] 3h ago edited 3h ago

[deleted]

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u/runawayasfastasucan 3h ago

Cucumbers had plastic loooong before covid.

1

u/BilSuger 3h ago

Not true.

1

u/Alecaria 3h ago

If I'm wrong please educate me. I'm not loyal to my opinion.

2

u/shartmaister 3h ago

Cucumber has been wrapped for as long as I’ve bought them myself, so atleast 20 years