Down With BPA
By Jenn | April 24, 2008
Well, there have been some big developments in the world of Bisphenol-A this past week, that’s for sure. There’s suddenly so much to read about this issue that I feel like I’m lagging behind, and the only way for me to cover all the bases is to summarize– so here goes:
Canada becomes the first country to officially list Bisphenol-A (BPA) as a toxic substance:
“Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement (pictured left) announced yesterday that Bisphenol A would be listed as a toxic substance and banned the use of polycarbonate plastic baby bottles. His Ministry will also tell baby food manufacturers to get it out of the linings of infant formula cans. The chemical has been blamed for conditions including cancer, declining sperm counts and early puberty in girls.”
From Grist.org: Down to the Last Drop:
“Bottle manufacturer Nalgene will stop using plastic containing bisphenol A in response to concerns from the National Toxicology Program and the Canadian health department that the chemical probably shouldn’t be sucked on by kids. Nalgene says it still believes its clear, hard plastic bottles “are safe for their intended use” but says it’s responding to customers who “indicated they preferred BPA-free alternatives.” Wal-Mart also announced it would pull all baby bottles made with BPA from its shelves by early next year.”
From Wired: We Should Have Banned Bisphenol A Twenty Years Ago:
“Over the last twenty years, scientists have built a mountain of evidence that Bisphenol A, the key ingredient in polycarbonate plastic, should scare the daylights out of us. It should have been banned a long time ago, as a precautionary measure, but regulators were asleep at the switch — allowing the chemical industry to run roughshod over them.”
This article from the NY Times answers all the basic questions about Bisphenol-A/BPA/polycarbonite, and it’s really worth the read. Here are some tidbits:
“The 2003-4 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found detectable levels of BPA in 93 percent of urine samples collected from more than 2,500 adults and children over 6.”
“Any product made of hard, clear plastic is probably made from polycarbonate unless the manufacturer specifically states that it’s BPA-free.”
“While much of the focus is on plastic bottles, most human exposure occurs through the lining of canned foods. Canned beverages appear to contain less of the chemical than canned foods like soup, pasta, fruits and vegetables, which are often processed at high temperatures. Virtually every canned product, even those labeled organic, has a liner with BPA. One brand, Eden Organic Baked Beans, says it uses a BPA-free can.”
On the personal front, I’m still reusing a kombucha glass jar as my water bottle, and it’s making me really happy (I didn’t enjoy the kombucha much, but next time I’ll try some local stuff). So that’s how I’m handling the BPA situation– by sitting this one out entirely.
Related Posts:
- Water Bottles: How Necessary Are They?
- Mason Jars & Further Water Bottle Insanity
- Water Bottles, Again…
- Mountain Equipment Coop Stops Selling Bisphenol-A
- Reusable Water Bottle Options
Related posts:
- More BPA News
- Shocker: FDA BPA Study Flawed
- FDA Says BPA A-OK
- Mason Jars & Further Water Bottle Insanity
- States Move on BPA Bans
- Mountain Equipment Coop Stops Selling Bisphenol-A
- Water Bottles, Again…
Topics: Health |
ok, as for water bottles i’m totally on board and loving my stainless. BUT … what about this canned food thing?!?! how come that is not getting more attention?!?!?
Hey Cat– I know, the food-can thing really gets me going (pisses me off, confuses me, annoys me). I’m not sure why we’re not hearing more about this part of the issue. Perhaps because it’s so pervasive that, once it becomes common knowledge, all hell will break loose amongst consumers and they’ll immediately demand change?
That’s what I’m hoping, anyway.
I agree with cat147- I’d never heard about the cans until today! That worries me more b/c I don’t use a lot of plastic and don’t even own a microwave, but everybody eats canned food! I was just looking at this site and found the graphs useful & informative:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/bpa-danger-from-cans.php
The pessimist in me is wondering what they’re going to start using if they have to stop using BPA, for all we know it could be something just as bad that hasn’t been studied yet.
thanks for that link! the following quote hits home for me:
“Start cooking instead of just heating. The fact that 17% of the American diet comes out of cans is just a scandal when we are surrounded by fresh food. Cook it from scratch and avoid the problem altogether.”
This is a GREAT point. I’ve never cooked using dried beans before (I’m super bad with the planning needed for that!) but am going to start doing that asap. Especially if I can buy the beans in bulk using reused plastic bags.
beans! that was the first food that came to mind for me too … red beans, black beans, pinto beans … mmm, beans!!
i was just searching to see if i could find some thoughts about pre-soaking and freezing before actually cooking. the 5 mins online results in the following conclusion (which is entirely my own): it may not be necessary!! but, i think i’m going to give it a shot. :)
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=8444
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/beans
[…] they preferred BPA-free alternatives.” Wal-Mart also announced it would pull all baby … credit : […]
[…] Down With BPAVirtually every canned product, even those labeled organic, has a liner with BPA. One brand, Eden Organic Baked Beans, says it uses a BPA-free can.” On the personal front, I’m still reusing a kombucha glass jar as my water bottle, …Untitled - http://tinychoices.com […]
[…] free water bottles Down With BPAVirtually every canned product, even those labeled organic, has a liner with BPA. One brand, Eden […]
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I am really interested in knowing what sippy cups are “safe” for my kids to use. Unfortunatley non of the cups in the stores are labled, so it is very hard to tell. The only one that I am familar with is the Nuby and it leaks horribly. Another thought I had was pacifiers and how to know if they also contain BPA’s. Years ago before I had children I remember stating that I would never have my kids sucking on some piece of plastic, however after nursing for weeks on end I realized there may be a time and place for them. Does anyone have advice on products for kids?
Hi Sarah! I just found these links for you:
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bisphenolafree.org
Thanks Jenn, I still wonder about pacifers and no info on Playtex, bottles or sippies. I will have to search harder.
Sarah, check out ZRecommends for extensive info on pacifiers (the shield on my kid’s preferred paci had bpa so we cut him off cold turkey), sippies, you name it baby-related. Not my site, no relationship, just an enormously grateful reader.
http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/04/catching-up-on-bpa.html
Thanks for the link. It gives some good info, her pacifer is fine, but not her sippies or bottles, I gues I need to buy new ones this weekend. I should wean her off the bottle, but that’s for another day.
It stinks that so many of our modern man made products are never really tested, and are so widely accepted that people seem to become immune to being concerned. I hear very often that “if it was that bad for us , they wouldn’t sell it”, and this is how big companies have brainwashed people to be - using commercials, billboards, & pretty smiling models telling us that these products are great & safe. I never knew plastic was in can goods, but luckily the only can good i ever eat are Eden Beans! I lucked out.
I do however drink Fiji bottled water because i live in the city where there is chlorinated water and I am VERY allergic to chlorine and would have to buy a filter more expensive afford to make it safe enough for me to drink. Sounds like Fiji bottles are the clear hard plastic types ! ICK !
(Good health should not have to cost so much.)
This is a hard one, when trying to balance modern life, health, and being green.
[…] Again… I am really interested in knowing what sippy cups are “safe” for my kids to use. …http://tinychoices.com/2008/04/24/down-with-bpa/Natural Women’s Health -Web’s Best Healthy living website, NPC Cream …… p>Buy bpa free sippy […]
SIPPYCUPS-
There is a company called Born Free and they make BPA bottles and Sippy cups….they are a quality cup too! Google for the website.. Babies r us should carry them as well.
Thanks for the info, CatW! (and, we knew what you meant!) Now, go take a nap, you have earned one.
oops… new mom brain!
I meant that Born Free are BPA FREE bottles & sippy cups.
ugh, now I feel stupid in public! :)
C
[…] save up some of those glass beverage bottles (we certainly don’t want you reusing the plastic ones!)– then brew a batch of tea at home (experiment with flavors!), let it cool, pour into your […]
Since the talk is about baby bottles, I had read that if you use glass baby bottles “somebody” sold “skins/sleeves” to cover the bottles for slippage and dropping. Does anybody know if anythings like this is made for other bottles? And where to locate them?
[…] I’ve noted before, I’m trying to reduce my exposure to BPA, because I really don’t know what to believe about the issue. Back in April, Canada […]
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