Fruits and vegetables with high water content are more suitable for plastic wrap, such as apples, pears, tomatoes, bok choy, and yellow chives. Not only can they be preserved for a long time, but it can also increase some of their nutrients.
Experiments show that 100 grams of yellow chives wrapped in plastic wrap will have 1.33 mg more vitamin C after 24 hours than when unwrapped. For bok choy and lettuce leaves, the increase is 1.92 mg. However, the experimental results for some vegetables are vastly different. After one day of storage, 100 grams of radish wrapped in plastic wrap had its vitamin C content reduced by 3.4 mg, beans by 3.8 mg, and the loss of vitamin C in a cucumber stored for a day and a night is equivalent to that of 5 apples.
Cooked food is not suitable for packaging and storage with plastic wrap.
Cooked food, hot food, and oily food, especially meat, should not be packaged and stored with plastic wrap. Experts point out that after these foods come into contact with plastic wrap, the chemical components in the material can easily volatilize and dissolve into the food, which is detrimental to health. The vast majority of plastic wraps on the market today are made from ethylene base material, just like common plastic bags. Some plastic wraps are made of polyethylene (PE), which does not contain plasticizers and is relatively safe to use. Others are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which often contains stabilizers, lubricants, and other processing aids that are harmful to the human body. Therefore, it is crucial to choose carefully.
Choose the right fresh-keeping packaging
Nowadays, there are many food packaging products on the market, such as plastic wrap, fresh-keeping bags, and fresh-keeping containers. Dong Jinshi pointed out: "Fresh-keeping mainly involves 'preserving moisture,' 'preserving quality,' and 'protecting nutrients.' In this regard, plastic wrap is the most effective. Qualified plastic wrap has strong air permeability, allowing oxygen to exchange between the inside and outside, effectively preventing the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria, and ensuring food freshness for a certain period of time." However, for foods like steamed buns and pastries, using plastic wrap is clearly very inconvenient. In comparison, fresh-keeping bags are thicker and not very breathable, making them relatively more suitable, but try not to seal the opening tightly when using them. The main function of fresh-keeping containers is to seal, which can effectively isolate and store raw and cooked foods, increasing the space utilization of the refrigerator.