I was way into middle age when I learned that plastic containers can absorb odors---and maybe other

[raccoon]

stuff.

Some relatives of mine had stored shrimp and cokes in plastic bottles in a refrigerator. The refrigerator died.

The cokes were, to say the least, undrinkable....

Well, I don't know if they actually tried to drink them. But the plastic would've absorbed the odor. Decaying seafood has
a pretty foul odor.

Any chemical engineers here? In cases like this does just the plastic absorb the odor? Or could the odor percolate through the
plastic and make what was in the container smell bad (at the very least)?

[pnwmom]

1. I have chemists and engineers in the family and so we never put plastic things

or Saran wrap, etc, in the microwave. The heat encourages the transfer of chemicals from the plastic into the food.

They aren't as concerned about food kept cold in the refrigerator in plastic containers, but we don't do that much anyway. Whenever I can, I buy glass bottles instead of plastic.

Here's an article from the Harvard Health news that has some related information.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/microwaving-food-in-plastic-dangerous-or-not

[B Calm]

2. We only use biodegradable non oil base cellophane to wrap food in the fridge & microwave.

Good luck finding cellophane, oil based wrapping has put cellophane companies out of business.