A great post by Z Recommends puts out a red flag about shopping Amazon.com’s BPA Free Baby shop.
Archive for the 'plastics' Category
CAUTION: Amazon’s “BPA Free Baby” shop not entirely BPA free
Posted by safeBABY on May 2, 2008
Posted in bisphenol A, plastics | Tagged: Amazon, Amazon BPA Free Baby, bisphenol A, BPA-free | No Comments »
Tupperware identifies plastics with BPA in its product line
Posted by safeBABY on April 24, 2008
We think it took quite a bit of consumer prodding after the news of bisphenol-A hit, but we’re thrilled that Tupperware has released a chart that identifies the types of plastics used in its product line. A link to the chart is posted after the jump.
Posted in bisphenol A, detox your home, plastics | Tagged: bisphenol A, BPA, Disney, Dora the Explorer, polycarbonate, SpongeBob, tupperware | No Comments »
Eden Foods’ line of canned beans is BPA free
Posted by safeBABY on April 22, 2008
The Environmental Working Group found that canned foods (including infant formula) pose the greatest risk of leaching bisphenol-A. But there’s news of one food brand, at least, the has some of its product line in cans that are BPA free.
Posted in bisphenol A, detox your home, food & nutrition, plastics | Tagged: bisphenol A, BPA, bpa-free cans, Eden Foods | No Comments »
Beyond polycarbonates: #3 and #6 plastics also pose risk
Posted by safeBABY on April 21, 2008
Plastic food and beverage containers have good qualities: They’re convenient, lightweight and typically low cost. But, as we heard this week with bisphenol-A, there are potential health risks in their use. Developing babies and young children are at greatest risk.
And while the spotlight is currently on polycarbonate - a #7 plastic - there are other types with documented health risks. Here’s a quick primer on the plastics to watch out for:
Posted in bisphenol A, detox your home, plastics | Tagged: plastic beverage containers, plastic food containers, polycarbonate, polystyrene, PVC, Styrofoam | No Comments »
Rubbermaid identifies BPA in food/beverage containers
Posted by safeBABY on April 19, 2008
Though limited to just a “Contains BPA” or “Does Not Contain BPA” categorization, Rubbermaid has posted a page on its website that identifies products in its collection that contain bisphenol A.
And while it’s not as transparent as we’d hope - we’d prefer a list of the types of plastic used in each product - it’s a step forward. Not sure whether phthalates, another group of chemicals in plastics causing health concerns, are in Rubbermaid products … more to come, I guess.
In the meantime, if you use Rubbermaid food storage or other food and beverage containers, head to your kitchen and compare your stash with Rubbermaid’s list of products with BPA.
Make informed choices.
[Photo: Rubbermaid's Produce Saver, which falls under the "Does Not Contain BPA" category]
Posted in bisphenol A, detox your home, plastics | Tagged: bisphenol A, BPA, Rubbermaid | 3 Comments »
Playtex releases ‘materials chart’ detailing BPA in baby products
Posted by safeBABY on April 19, 2008
In a bold move toward transparency, Playtex Infant Care has made a product materials chart (a PDF document) available for its entire product line. The document details the type of plastics used in its bottles, pacifiers, sippy cups, dishware and breast pumps.
While the chart does reveal a few products containing bisphenol A (those made of polycarbonate, a #7 plastic), it indicates that the majority of Playtex’s product line is BPA-free (and free of phthalates, another group of toxic chemicals in plastics). The company says it will convert the balance of those products to BPA-free by year’s end.
FREE SAMPLE: The company also says it will distribute 1 million free samples of its Playtex Drop-Ins Oringal Nurser System, which is BPA-free. Click here to submit a request (caveat: I’m sure you’ll be added to their email marketing list).
[Photo: Playtex's Baby Einstein eat & discover utensils, made of polypropylene (#5), which is BPA-free]
Posted in bisphenol A, detox your home, plastics | Tagged: bisphenol A, Playtex baby materials chart, BPA, Playtex free, Baby Einstein | No Comments »
Kids dishware: Alternatives to plastic
Posted by safeBABY on April 18, 2008
I’ve been digging up some alternatives to plastic kids’ cups and plates, for those who don’t want to decipher recycling codes or call manufacturers to ask about items that don’t have a symbol at all.
[Note: To be fair, current studies identify polycarbonate (a #7 plastic), PVC (#3) and polystyrene (#6) as the "unsafe" plastics - not all plastics. And the Environmental Working Group says 'the levels of BPA that leach from hard plastics is generally low' .]
That said, there are plastic dishware alternatives if you’re interested. Read on.
Posted in bisphenol A, plastics | Tagged: bisphenol A, camden rose, plastic alternatives, safer kids dishware, wooden bowls for kids, wooden kids utensils | No Comments »
BPA concern greater in canned goods (sorry, Chef Boyardee)
Posted by safeBABY on April 17, 2008
This week’s study by the National Toxicology Program put the spotlight on the potential health risks of BPA. But it seems everyone has latched onto the (polycarbonate) baby bottle connection and overlooked the fact that the lining of food and beverage cans (including infant formula) incorporate BPA-embedded plastic as well.
In fact, according to the Environmental Working Group, canned foods are thought to be the predominate route of BPA exposure, and instances in the womb and during early childhood hold particular risk. In some instances, a single exposure contained enough BPA to bring a woman or infant to levels more than 200 times the government’s traditional safe level for industrial chemicals.
In light of that, it would surely be prudent to avoid, as best as possible, canned goods. Read on for some alternatives to consider:
Posted in baby-making, bisphenol A, detox your home, food & nutrition, in the womb, plastics | Tagged: bisphenol A, BPA in cans, canned food alternatives, Chef boyardee | 2 Comments »
Safer food containers
Posted by safeBABY on April 16, 2008
With all the news about BPA in plastic, you can be sure there’s going to be a lot of fumbling, sorting and even trashing of kitchen plastic containers (though I’d recommend repurposing them for crafts or something). But I thought I’d get ahead of the game with a few posts on some alternatives for your family, beginning with this one on what might be the unthinkable for some people - ditching the Tupperware.
Some quick tips:
- Avoid polycarbonate plastic containers entirely (marked #7)
- Avoid microwaving or dishwashing plastics (all plastics) to avoid the intense heat environments that make plastics leach.
- Ditch plastic containers that have seen better days; scratched containers, particularly, should be retired - again, over concern that they might leach.
Since Tupperware is so ubiquitous in American kitchens, I wanted to check their status on the polycarbonate/BPA controvery. A quick search on the Tupperware website brought up the following statement:
Certain Tupperware products are made from polycarbonate, including serving products and Rock ‘N Serve storage and cooking containers. However, polycarbonate is NOT used in Tupperware baby bottles or toys. On the strength of the repeated governmental scrutiny that polycarbonate has had, Tupperware continues to believe the material is safe. However, as Tupperware has the highest regard for the safety of the consumers of its products and the functionality of these products, it will continue to closely monitor this scientific debate and research the best materials for use in its products.
We were hoping for more disclosure from Tupperware, but read on for some alternatives to consider:
Posted in bisphenol A, detox your home, plastics | Tagged: bisphenol A, BPA-free, glass food containers, polycarbonate, safe food containers, safer plastic, tupperware | 2 Comments »
Bisphenol-A in food cans, baby bottles (and more) a risk
Posted by safeBABY on April 16, 2008
A new federal government report is raising concern about Bisphenol A - a chemical (also called BPA) found in many baby bottles, water bottles, sippy cups, food storage containers, dental sealants, the lining of metal food cans (including infant formula) and some children’s toys. Though it says more research is needed, the National Toxicology Program’s report clearly indicates risk with BPA exposure:
“…there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures. The NTP also has some concern for bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females …”
How can you reduce your children’s (and your own) exposure to BPA?
Posted in bisphenol A, detox your home, in the womb, plastics, research studies | Tagged: bisphenol A, baby bottles, safe plastics, BPA-free, polycarbonate | 5 Comments »
