Expert: Deb Schiff - 9/28/2009

Question
I'm wondering if you can point me in the right direction?  I can't tell if I am living under the influence of a former roommate who was vegan, or if there are real concerns about my things being shared with a meat eater.

Based on my time when I still ate meat and lived with a vegan, I learned not to use her pans, pots, tupperware...  Now, I am a veg myself and facing the same conversation with a new roommate!  I understand why I don't want the meat-eater using my cooking tools - meat grease is hard to clean off and I see its residue.  I don't mind us sharing plates, silverware, because the meat isn't raw and those clean much easier.  But tupperware...!?  I am wondering if cleanliness is an issue here.  My friend was against sharing her vegan tupperware with meat eaters because plastic is porous.  I see the logic in this, but I am wondering if there is a real concern.  I haven't eaten meat in almost 8 years, so if there is beef or pork meat, fat, anything, I tend to get sick now.  (For example, getting and egg and cheese at McDonalds, they just took the sausage patty off and I was ill for a few hours!)  Will the meat taint my tupperware?

Rather than seem neurotic and bring this up, I'd rather read up on it, but google searches are hard to nail down on such a random and specific topic.  Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Answer
Hi Nicole,

I think it's a legitimate question. If you are serious about your plastic ware, don't let it be used for anything other than your items.

As far as cleanliness goes, if you use baking soda to scrub your plastic, and wash it with very hot water, there will not be any meat residue. Vinegar also makes a good cleaner. Good luck.