Bamboo cups and plates are often sold as green, natural alternatives to plastic tableware.
But a new study shows that many of these “eco-friendly” dishes may release harmful chemicals, including melamine and pesticide residues, into food and drinks.
Researchers from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague (UCT Prague) tested 33 types of bio-based dishes—bowls, cups, and dining sets—bought from stores in the Czech Republic, the UK, and China.
Their findings, published in Food Control, revealed that nearly one-third of these products contained melamine, a chemical often used in plastics. Most of the contaminated items were bamboo-based.
Melamine is not meant to be part of natural bamboo. Instead, many of these products are actually made from a mix of bamboo powder and melamine-formaldehyde resin—a type of plastic.
This combination helps make the products durable but can also break down over time, especially when exposed to heat or acidic foods.
The researchers found that in several bamboo dishes, melamine leached into liquids at levels higher than what the European Union (EU) allows for food safety.
Some products released melamine when in contact with hot tea or orange juice, suggesting that people could ingest the chemical during normal use.
The study found that six bamboo-based dishes exceeded the EU’s specific migration limit of 2.5 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of food. According to lead author Professor Jana Hajslova, consumers are being misled.
“The ‘natural’ label can be dangerously misleading,” she said. “Many products that look and feel natural are actually plastics reinforced with bamboo. This mixture can make the plastic less stable and increase the release of harmful substances, particularly when used with hot or acidic foods.”
Despite an EU ban since 2021 on using bamboo powder in plastic materials that touch food, these products are still being sold across Europe.
Many are falsely labeled as “100% bamboo” or “biodegradable,” which makes it difficult for consumers to recognize the risks.
The researchers also detected other contaminants, including pesticide residues in cereal-based dishes and disinfectant traces in bamboo items. These findings raise further questions about how such “bio-based” products are manufactured and whether they are truly safe.
The study concludes that stricter regulation and better market surveillance are urgently needed. Consumers should be cautious about buying “eco-friendly” dishware that claims to be natural or biodegradable.
While bamboo may sound sustainable, not all products labeled as bamboo are what they seem—and some may pose hidden health risks.
