Strollerderby : Bisphenol-A

Leaked Minutes: BPA Makers Fight Back

Miriam Axel-Lute — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:00:00 GMT

The public health blog Effect Measure has gotten their hands on a set of leaked minutes from a meeting of representatives of industries that use the toxic endocrine-mimicker bisphenol-A (BPA) on how to counter the negative media about it.

It's rich: They figure getting a scientific spokesperson won't be possible (gee, why?), but are hoping to find a young pregnant mom to do it. They want to emphasize the loss of conveinence to poor folks and busy mothers, appeal to our desire for choices, and make us worry about losing jobs. They don't figure they can win on Facebook and complain about already having spent too much money on this.

In fact it's so rich that I have to acknowledge that while I have no reason to doubt its veracity, if I were writing a satire of how I expected such a meeting to go, it would look just like that. Only it would be shorter and less detailed.

So y'all: You are forewarned. Someone's going to try to tell you BPA is good for you and your kids. It'll be just as insincere and self-serving as it sounds.

Photo of BPA-free sippy cups CC Tiffany Washko, via Flickr.

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Breaking Bad on Plastics

JeanneSager — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:53:00 GMT

If only Benjamin Braddock knew then what we know now - plastics are a bummer for parents. Not to mention the environment.

But you don't have to be a graduate of anything to understand this helpful chart I picked up from the folks at Zo-Li, the baby product company that's managed to incorporate toxic-free plastics into all its goodies for kids.

Breaking down the different types of plastics, where you'll find them and what affect they'll have on your kids, the chart is a print and tack to the fridge if I've ever seen one. Because who wants to take a chance with their kids?

Their biggies to avoid:

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - also known as Plastic #3 - Usually found in cling wrap, squeeze bottles, bigs, mattress covers, diaper changing mats, bottles for cooking oil, window cleaner, and detergents PVC poses risks to both human health and the environment. PVC needs additives and stabilizers such as lead for strength and phthalates for ﬂexibility. The manufacturing and disposal of PVC emits dioxins into the air which settles on grasslands and water impacting the meat and dairy products consumed by humans. Dioxin is a known carcinogen and hormone disruptor associated with learning and behavioral problems in children, decreased birth rate, and reduced immune functionality.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - also known as Plastic #6 - Used in opaque plastic cutlery and Styrofoam disposable cups, carry-out containers and meat trays. Styrene can leach from Styrofoam containers and is a known carcinogen that is toxic to the brain and nervous system through prolonged exposure.

Polycarbonate - This is a catch-all of all plastics that don’t fall into any of the other six groups. Some of the new bio-plastics that are corn / rice / potato / tapioca-based plastics as well as the newer plastics labeled BPA-free are included in this group, but the type of plastic to avoid in this group is polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is commonly used in plastic baby bottles, reusable water
bottles, and some clear plastic cutlery. Bisphenol-A (BPA), found in polycarbonate is a hormone disruptor, which can leach into the foods and liquids in polycarbonate containers. BPA has been linked to several health issues including prostate and breast cancer, early onset of puberty, miscarriages, birth defects, behavioral issues such as hyperactivity, obesity, diabetes, and impaired immune function.

Want the whole chart to keep your kids safe? Click on the image below to print and save.

Images: BarSupply/Zo-Li Baby

Ban BPA? Manufacturers Cry Poverty

JeanneSager — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:26:00 GMT

You've got to love the recession - all of a sudden big manufacturers are worried about the poor. Worried their poor customers won't have the money to buy their products anyway.

As Suffolk County, New York tries to become the first county in the country to enforce a ban on Bisphenol-A (BPA) in children's products, manufacturers are crying poverty.

Force them to remove the reported carcinogen, and makers say they'll have to jack up their prices so high it will be bad for low-income parents and create problems for hospitals. Snort.

They do realize six of the largest baby bottle makers JUST announced they're going BPA free, right? It's obviously working for some companies . . . or at least six of them. Lobbying against the county, representatives of the plastic bottle and sippy cup makers asked lawmakers to point the bill toward EMPTY containers, freeing them up to fill bottles of formula sent to hospitals for newborn babies with lots of icky chemicals.

But, hey, they're helping poor people. They can sleep at night!

The Suffolk County Legislature voted unanimously in support of the ban on BPA earlier this month, and a set of state legislators are now working together to make a similar ban effective across New York.

Image: OhMyGov

UPDATE: Bye Bye BPA: WHICH Bottles Will Go Bisphenol Free

JeanneSager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:57:00 GMT

Checking for the BPA-free label when shopping for baby bottles may soon be a thing of the past. The six largest manufacturers of bottles in the United States have voluntarily agreed to go Bisphenol-A free.

We reported on this story over the weekend (see below), but thanks to our friends at SuperEco, we now have a list of who's involved in the manufacturer cave in.

Going toxin free are Gerber, Avent America (which stopped production back in December), Evenflo, Disney's First Years, Dr. Brown and Playtex.

Attorneys general in Connecticut and New Jersey put forward a request to the bottle makers, asking for the hormone-disrupting chemical to be removed from the manufacturing process. The request came on the heels of newer research that shows the affects of BPA are large even at low doses, doses lower than the FDA's current standards. Studies have linked BPA to everything from cancer and obesity to problems with brain function and mood disorders. They've also shown BPA is building up in the bloodstream. In a study of people age six and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found detectable levels of BPA in ninety-three percent of two thousand five hundred seventeen urine samples.

Of course, the big companies aren't exactly doing this all out of the goodness of their hearts. Babies R Us and a number of other retailers announced last year that they would phase out all sales of bottles with BPA in them. Canada has outright banned the substance.

But sometimes even the big companies make decisions that are good for parents.

Image: OhMyGov

They Say: "Microwave Safe" Ain't

Miriam Axel-Lute — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT

If you're the type to be suspicious of chemicals and corporations, and especially their mixture, this will likely not surprise you:

A team of investigative journalists from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel did one of those surprisingly simple things that we love real, honest-to-god investigative journalists for: an experiment. Specifically, they took 10 items marked with the comforting phrase "microwave safe" that were likely to be ingested by children or used for children's food (several were actually baby food, one was formula), heated them (in both a microwave and an oven), and had the contents tested for bisphenol-A (BPA).

(If you've been under a rock, BPA is the hormone-like substance that everyone from the Canadian government to Wal-Mart have been all freaked out about getting out of baby bottles recently, on account of it's been shown to do nasty things to neurological development and also cause pre-cancerous changes to mammary glands and other fun stuff at super low levels.)

I think you can tell where this is headed: All of the food had levels of BPA that were shown in lab tests to be problematic. The food in the Rubbermaid all-purpose container and the infant formula had the highest levels. So much for worrying about the bottles themselves. The article estimates how much an average kid might be ingesting per day, and it ain't pretty.

The manufacturers' response, of course, is to say it's just a tiny amount and won't hurt you. The FDA says "What they said" and goes back to buffing up an 8-year-old resume. There are (prepare to be shocked now) apparently no standards whatsoever behind the designation "microwave safe." If the container doesn't blow up, which would presumably generate complaints if not any regulatory action, then it can be labeled zappable.

This was one of those stories I almost didn't read, because I am (1) predisposed by my environmental studies background to be veeeerrrry skeptical of claims that strange chemicals are harmless and (2) completely and utterly dependent on my microwave. I'm sure as hell not going to put a pan on the stove every time I need to heat up a quarter cup of frozen peas or leftover lentil soup for my daughter.

I had been comforting myself with the vapid mneumonic that Real Money readers came up with a while back about the better and worse plastics ("1, 2, 4, 5 will keep you alive; 3, 6, 7 will send you straight to heaven." Yes, I am embarrassed that I remember it), but the infuriatingly thorough MSJ notes that BSA was leaching from no.s 1, 2, and 5 as well. Great.

I guess this is where I consider dropping the plastic bowls when microwaving is needed and hoping my toddler doesn't shatter enough of our motley assortment of ceramic ones to constitute its own safety hazard. The plastic is still going in the dishwasher though. I know my limits.

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Six Steps to a Parent-Friendly Wedding

Greenhouse: BPA Ban Fails

Amy Kuras — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Proponents of banning bisphenol-A, a chemical used in baby bottles, sippy cups, and the coating of formula cans were handed a huge defeat Monday, when the California Legislature voted down a bill that would ban the chemical from baby bottles.

Another bill to ban a chemical compound called PFOA, which is used in food packaging and is a key ingredient in Teflon, also was defeated.

Concern has been growing among parents about BPA, which is believed to mimic hormones in the body and disrupt the endocrine system. It's been linked to male infertility, among other issues, and is widely used in baby bottles and sippy cups, although more and more BPA-free alternatives are on store shelves.

Senate Bill 1713 by Sen. Carol Migden of San Francisco, would have banned bisphenol-A from baby bottles and other products. Laboratory studies show the chemical harms brain development. Migden's measure failed on a 27-31 vote when 22 legislators abstained from voting.

Senate Bill 1313, by Sen. Ellen Corbett of San Leandro, would have banned the chemical PFOA from food packaging, which has been identified as a likely human carcinogen. It fell five votes short of the 41 needed with 11 members of the Assembly not voting.

However, the Food and Drug Administration released a report last Friday, right before the California vote, declaring that BPA is safe in the levels human are typically exposed to.

The chemical industry rallied aginst the bills, running ads showing an empty grocery cart in a dry lake bed, wich implied that every item in a typical grocery list would have to be pulled frmo the shelve sif the bill were to pass.

It's possible the legislature will revisit both bills again.

Fear of plastic + timing = big bucks

Brett Singer — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:30:00 GMT

Interesting article over on Forbes.com about the BornFree people. Turns out they not only make the bottles, they help make sure that people know how dangerous the BPA-filled versions are.

Apparently, when BornFree began back in 2006, very few people cared about BPA. So what does a dadpreneur (that's a dad entepreneur – see how dumb it sounds?) do? Make sure that everyone knows how bad plastic is. According to Forbes, BornFree's President Ron Vigdor "sometimes exaggerates when comparing bisphenol A-free bottles to polycarbonate versions. 'One is with arsenic, one without. Which one would you like to buy?'"

So what's wrong with that?

It makes me wonder how many supposedly dangerous things are the result of hype rather than fact. I'm not saying BPA-free bottles are a bad thing, or that Bisphenol-A isn't harmful. I have no idea. I'm not taking a side, and if people would rather use BPA-free bottles, I think it's great that they have the opportunity to do so. But think about it this way: if you have a product that you think meets a need, and nobody seems to care, how far do you go to create that need? Are you doing the world a favor or just making a quick buck? Or both? Does anyone have a problem with that? How many question marks can I use in a single post?

image: Amazon.com

Words Have Many Meanings, Part 2

Lingo-watch: Manimony

BPA-Free? Not So Much

Wee*Go's Soft-Shelled Glass Bottle Defies Toxins, Breakage Alike

A Cheap* Plastic Cup That Won't Kill or Maim You

BPA-Free? Not So Much

Amy Kuras — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:54:00 GMT

We're all worried these days about bisphenol-A (or BPA), a chemcial that leaches from hard, clear plastic polycarbonate baby bottles and can cause disruptions ot the endocrine system
So what a fabulous idea from Amazon to open their BPA-Free Baby Store, gathering a selection of their products that don't use the chemical and putting them all in one place on the site.
Only one problem: Some of the products do contain BPA.
According to Z Recommends, which uncovered the problem, only four of 14 products lumped in the BPA-Free Store contained BPA, and of those, two had it in the handles or a flip-top that covered a sippy spout –in other words, areas that were unlikely to leach (BPA leaches when the plastic containing it is heated, which is why bottles are such a concern).
Two of the others, though, were bottles: Gerber's ComfortHold bottle and Dr. Brown's standard bottle. In the case of the Dr. Brown's bottle, it may have been a mix-up –the company recently introduced a glass bottle and announced plans to release a BPA-free plastic one, but clicking on the product ID number went right to their polycarbonate models.
None of the manufacturers are claiming their products are BPA-free – Amazon, however, did. A quick check of Amazon before I posted this found the offending products gone from the BPA-Free Shop, nore did they come up in a search for "BPA-Free."

Z Recommends has a very detailed report on the issue on their site, so follow the link. Their main concern, and mine, is that people could be misled into buying bottles that have BPA in them. Being a smart consumer saves the day.

Greenhouse: BPA-Free Baby Feeding

Amy Kuras — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:03:00 GMT

By now, the concerns about bisphenol-A in baby bottles have been well-documented. Studies have shown it disrupts the endocrine system, can cause damage to egg cells and even cause hyperactivity. Attempts to ban it in some US states have mostly failed, but worried parents are starting to seek out options.

Most clear, rigid baby bottles contain it –it's BPA that makes them that way, and yes, that's just about every widely available bottle out there. There are BPA-free options, although they are generally quite expensive, around $10 for just one bottle. Of course, there's always good old-fashioned glass (which is less expensive but gives a klutz like me anxiety attacks, but it's apparently tempered safety glass and thus sturdier).

Once you have decided to use a BPA-free bottle, though, there is more to worry about. Like, what sort of nipple should you be attaching to that bottle? According to Green Daily, silicone, which is nonreactive, is a healthier and greener choice than latex.

The same goes for pacifiers, of course.

Even if you exclusively breasfeed, you're likely going to need to give your baby a bottle of pumped milk at some point. So educating yourself on the options is a good idea.

They also have a Green Baby guide on the site, which lists earth-friendly products that are good for bottlefeeding and good for nursing.

Can the Formula: Canned Baby Formula Contains Chemicals

Karen Murphy — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:27:00 GMT

Remember BPA? It wasn't long ago that people were all up in arms about it: Bisphenol-A, found in plastics like polycarbonate baby bottles, has been found to cause all sorts of bad stuff that you want your baby to avoid, so much so that you're now using glass bottles or expensiver BPA-free bottles, right? Too bad what's going in them, namely canned ready-to-feed baby formula, ALSO contains BPA.

Screwed by the FDA, the BPA-baby way!

Yes, a non-profit advocacy and research organization called the Environmental Working Group has conducted tests of several leading-name canned baby formulas (concentrated and "straight" versions) and has found them to contain BPA. (Their report, released yesterday, can be found here.) But when confronted with this information, the FDA claims yes, it's true that the inner coating on the cans contains BPA, but that it's at levels considered "safe."

So why am I uncomfortable with this? After all, there seems little disagreement that the BPA in the bottles was potentially harmful, so why would it suddenly be safe in cans? So, cancer-causing nasty chemicals are bad, but a little is okay? And who decides how much is okay? After all, there haven't been a lot of trials on humans up to this point. Anyone want to donate their baby for experimental purposes? No? I thought not.

There are going to be people who helpfully suggest, "You could always go back in time and breastfeed instead of giving your baby formula!" so I'll just clear that one away now, m'kay?

So, breastfeeding people, play nice.

And formula people, you might want to look into other-than-canned formula. And if you're one of those who fed your kid canned formula, take a deep breath, hug your kid, and remember that we're all exposed to cancer-causing agents practically all the time, and sometimes we can only rely on the information we have. So no kicking yourself, 'kay?

Photo: thedoctorcooks.com

GreenHouse: What You Need to Know About "Bad Plastic"

Alisyn — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:31:00 GMT

Mounting evidence indicates that the chemical bisphenol A is adversely affecting women's and children's reproductive health, and may be linked to obesity, breast and prostate cancer, and neurological disorders.. Unfortunately, the chemical is everywhere - in baby bottles, laptop computers, CDs, dental sealants, food can liners, water bottles, car parts... the list goes on and on. In other words, if you are a living, breathing consumer, you are exposed to bisphenol A multiple times, every single day.

Bisphenol A is a "bad plastic" - so much so that legislators in several states have introduced bills that would restrict sales of children's products containing the chemical. A class action lawsuit was filed in L.A. County against manufacturers and retailers of affected baby bottles and cups, and the ever-progressive city of San Francisco recently put into action a law that would ban the sale of baby products with bisphenol A.

The public is slowly being educated about the dangers of "bad plastics," no thanks, natch, to the official bisphenol A industry group, which maintains that the chemical "pose[es] no known risks to human health." But those in the know are getting back to basics, and avoiding all plastic when they can. Better to be safe than sorry.

Starting small is the key to phasing any "bad" out of, right? Baby steps. Avoiding bisphenol A is as easy as not eating canned goods, not having dental sealants put in teeth, and using glass instead of plastic cups and bottles. After that? Well, here's one mom's outline of the the steps she took to rid herself and her family of the unknown dangers lurking in their kitchen cupboards. From stainless steel sippy cups and snack containers, to glass food storage bowls, to portable plastic bag alternatives... cutting harmful chemicals out of our lives is a daunting task, but every baby step counts.

Plastic Bottles Suck

Karen Murphy — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:28:00 GMT

Parents have enough to worry about these days as it is, especially parents of newborns. But here's one more: experts are advocating that you refrain from using poycarbonate baby bottles and sippy cups.

Yikes! We've mentioned this before, but it's worth another go: these clear, hard, shatterproof plastic items contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), which is being blamed for lots of bad stuff like cancer! Early onset of puberty! Infertility! More cancer!

Baby bottle brands containing BPA include Avent, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex. And, oh, when I say "experts", I mean the writers of a fairly mainstream baby advice book called Baby 411, which has been revised to include a warning against bottles with BPA.

Here's how you can avoid BPA in your baby's life if you use bottles:

1. Use glass bottles.

2. Use opaque-plastic bottles, like from Medela.

3. Use BPA-free plastic bottles, like from Born Free.

4. Use a drop-in system with bottles.

5. Don't buy store-bought baby food in metal or plastic containers

Oh! And what about toddlers, you ask? There's an excellent non-BPA sippy-cup wrap-up over at Z Recommends. I favor the stainless steel Kleen Kanteen myself.

Update! Here's another excellent and brand-specific wrap-up of baby bottles over at Z Recs!

Strollerderby : Bisphenol-A

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Breaking Bad on Plastics

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Ban BPA? Manufacturers Cry Poverty

Ban BPA? Manufacturers Cry Poverty

UPDATE: Bye Bye BPA: WHICH Bottles Will Go Bisphenol Free

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UPDATE: Bye Bye BPA: WHICH Bottles Will Go Bisphenol Free

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Wee*Go's Soft-Shelled Glass Bottle Defies Toxins, Breakage Alike

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BPA-Free? Not So Much

Greenhouse: BPA-Free Baby Feeding

Can the Formula: Canned Baby Formula Contains Chemicals

GreenHouse: What You Need to Know About "Bad Plastic"

Plastic Bottles Suck