Careful with supermarket pizzas: this common mistake can turn them toxic

When we’re having a bite to eat at home - either on our own or with friends and family - ready-to-cook supermarket pizzas are a favourite. Stick them in the oven for just a matter of minutes, and hey presto: dinner is served.

However, oven-ready pizzas’ status as a quick, no-fuss option can lead us to make a mistake that puts our health in danger.

To keep washing-up to a minimum, many people opt to serve their pizza straight back onto the plastic packaging it came in. But, while this might at first glance seem like a harmless choice, it isn’t.

Why shouldn’t you serve pizza on the plastic packaging?

The popular Spanish nutritionist Mario Sánchez has warned that it is “one of the most common food-safety errors” that consumers commit.

In a TikTok video, Sánchez explains that by using the packaging instead of a plate or a board, we cause the plastic to melt. “This plastic isn’t designed to withstand the temperature of a pizza when it’s fresh out of the oven,” Sánchez says, quipping: “As we all know, it’s pretty much on the same level as volcanic lava.”

He continues: “[When] this deformation of the plastic takes place, we’re causing potentially dangerous particles to pass [from the packaging] to the pizza.”

Sánchez concluded: “You need to be really careful about this. Don’t do it - and pass the word on to your friends!”

While there are other ready-meal products whose plastic packaging can be placed in the oven/microwave and can be used to hold the food after it is heated, this is because such packaging has been designed to handle high temperatures.

Sánchez urges consumers to always read the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

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