What an excellent question and as much as I wish I had an easy and excellent answer for you, the truth is that it is a bit more complicated…

First and foremost some plastics are much more hazardous to leaching than others. Thus if you are going to freeze anything in plastic containers it should only be in containers with numbers 2 or 5 (possibly 4) – never in containers 1, 3, 6, or 7.

Next after using the food, examine the container for any deformation, if the container has changed its shape permanently – I would throw out the container.

With plastic bags, the story is somewhat similar, however unlike containers they do not have numbers usually on them. Most freezer friendly plastic bags are okay for one time use, but research shows that bags made of #1 and #4 should be avoided.

There are also options of eco-plastics starting to come out like the ones you can find here:
http://www.letsgogreen.biz/pages/plastic.html

Although I do not recommend heavy if any plastic use, I am also not ignorant of its convenience. Ultimately it is a bit of a balancing act between pros and cons. And the odd freezer food is not too detrimental, the bigger problem is people who on a daily basis freeze water in plastic bottles, drink it and re-freeze it.

The biggest problem with plastics is always heating food in them of any kind.

I have been using the “Glad” or “zip lock” brands of storage boxes. The cranberries I have just been putting in the freezer right in the bags they are packed in.

This chemical report is a concern for our health.
What do you suggest?

Thank you,
Emily Maker