health

BPA: Plastic Products that Are BPA-Free

susan — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The response to the series of stories we have run about BPA in your water bottle, and in cans, baby formula and baby bottles has been immense. Now people are asking us to pull together in one place useful links for finding BPA-free plastic and other products. So here is where you can go online to stay BPA- free and keep yourself and your family safe and healthy.

Water Bottles

Stainless steel bottles from Klean Kanteen

Copolyester Camelbak from Eastman

SIGG

A variety of BPA-free bottles from The Water Geeks.

Stainless steel bottles from Guyot Designs.

RiverWired article on avoiding BPA in plastics.

Cans that are BPA-free

Eden Foods

RiverWired article on avoiding BPA in canned food.

Baby Bottles and Products

Silicone bottles from Silikids.

The Soft Landing

The Adiri Natural Nurser

Born Free

Nurture Pure

The Boon No Spill Sippy Cup

Think Baby

Diapers Etc.

Glass Bottles at Natural Baby

Weego bottle covers from Baby Life

List of recommended BPA-free bottles from Safe Mama.

The Razz-Berry silicone teether

The Natursutta pacifier

Eco Piggy

Baby food cubes from One Step Ahead

Lunch boxes from Laptop Lunches

Munchkin

More baby product recommendations from Nature Moms.

Baby Formula

Powdererd formula from Nestle (generally speaking, powdered is safer than liquid formula when it comes to BPA)

Formula recommendations from Enviroblog.

Study by the Environmental Working Group.

For more information on BPA, check out these stories:

BPA in Dental Plastic: Are the Fillings in your Teeth Dangerous?

Your BPA Questions, Answered

BPA: The Dangers of Canned Food May Be Greater Than Plastics

BPA: 5 Tips to Avoid the Dangers in Plastics

Where to Find Baby Bottles Without BPA -- and Formula and Pacifiers, Too

Where to Find BPA-Free Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups

BPA: The Dangers of Canned Foods May Be Greater Than Plastics

susan — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

The headlines have focused on the dangers of BPA (bisphenol-A, an endocrine-disrupting chemical) in plastics. But it turns out that the BPA in the plastic lining of canned foods may pose even greater dangers.

Many canned foods are lined with a plastic coating (it looks like a solid lining) made from BPA, which can leach into the food. The longer a can sits on your shelf, the more BPA is likely to leach out.

The highest levels of BPA were found in canned pasta and soups, according to a report last year by the Environmental Working Group, . a nonprofit research group based in Washington, D.C.

“Independent laboratory tests found a toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects of the male and female reproductive systems in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods,” according to the EWG’s report.

Which specific canned foods were the most dangerous?

Chicken soup, infant formula, and ravioli came out highest in risk, according to the EWG. “Just one to three servings of foods with these concentrations could expose a woman or child to BPA at levels that caused serious adverse effects in animal tests,” according to the report.

About 17% of the average American diet consists of canned foods, according to Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) estimates. EWG reports that the last time the FDA examined BPA exposures from food was in 1996 -- but they failed to set a safety standard.

What Can You DO?

· Cut down on canned foods -- eat fresh foods instead. Save the canned stuff for emergencies.

· Choose canned foods from makers who don't use BPA, such as Eden Foods (www.edenfoods.com), which sells certified organic canned beans and other foods.

· Choose soups in cardboard cartons (such as those by Tetra Pak and SIG Combibloc) which are made of safer layers of aluminum and polyethylene (#2) and are also recyclable. Or buy foods packaged in glass jars.

Background on BPA: Why Worry?

BPA, or bisphenol-A, has been linked to various cancers (breast and prostate cancer), early onset puberty, Type II diabetes and neurobehavioral changes in offspring exposed in the womb, according to the EWG. This chemical, used in many plastics, such as polycarbonate plastic (hard, colored water bottles and water coolers) and the lining of most food and beverage cans, leaches into foods. Even more of the chemical is released when it's heated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control found BPA in the bodies of 93 percent of the people they tested.

For more information on BPA, check out these stories:

BPA in Dental Plastic: Are the Fillings in your Teeth Dangerous?

BPA: 5 Tips to Avoid the Dangers in Plastics

Where to Find Baby Bottles Without BPA -- and Formula and Pacifiers, Too

Where to Find BPA-Free Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups

BPA: Plastic Products That Are BPA-Free

Your BPA Questions Answered

BPA: 5 Tips to Avoid the Dangers in Plastics

susan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

You’ve probably seen the news reports about the dangers of chemicals such as BPA (bisphenol-A, an endocrine-disrupting chemical) and others in plastic. Now it’s time for you to do something about it.

I know you’re trying to do the green thing by re-using your plastic water and juice bottles instead of being like 80% of the rest of the world who toss them in the garbage and don’t even recycle.

But cut it out. BPA has been linked to various cancers (breast and prostate cancer), early onset puberty, Type II diabetes and neurobehavioral changes in offspring exposed in the womb. And BPA is not the only danger lurking in your plastic containers.

Here are some simple steps you can take to stay healthy and safe. These tips are advisable for everybody – but especially for those most vulnerable to the effects of these chemicals -- infants and young children, as well as pregnant women or anyone even thinking about getting pregnant.

1. Do not re-use plastic water – or soda or juice -- bottles.

The danger here is not BPA -- these containers do not contain BPA as they are made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), a petroleum-based material. (Turn them upside-down and look for the number #1 inside the tiny triangle.)

The primary danger is bacteria. With those small mouths, they are almost impossible to wash properly.

Danger Number 2: Once you’ve put those bottles in the dishwasher and they’ve gotten scratched and dented, this degraded bottle allows a trace metal, antimony, to leach into whatever you are drinking, according to one of the leading researchers on plastics, University of Missouri’s Frederick S. vom Saal, in a recent New York Times article.

2. Avoid hard plastic Nalgene containers, made from polycarbonates -- #7 on the bottom.

Yes, those cool, colorful, rigid transparent plastic bottles that are labeled Number 7 – or PC on the bottom -- contain BPA. This plastic is also used for hard plastic baby bottles, toddlers’ sippy cups, 5 gallon water cooler bottles, plastic silverware, and Lexan products, according to a report by The Environmental Working Group.

“Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as 'non-leaching' for minimizing plastic taste or odor, however there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids,” according to the EWG.

When possible it is best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for children's food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 , #4 and #5 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA.

3. Use stainless steel containers – there’s a sippy cup adapter for toddlers.

And make sure you pick ones that do not have a plastic liner. That plastic liner can contain – you guessed it – BPA.

Here’s a web site – KleanKanteen -- with a selection of stainless steel bottles —one even has a sippy adapter for kids – instead of those plastic sippy cups.

4. Do not microwave or heat foods in plastic containers.

That means any plastic – even if it is a safer variety. When you heat liquids or foods in a plastic container, it causes even more BPA (and possibly other chemicals) to leach out.

Don’t use plastic wrap in the microwave either. Though the American Chemistry Council reports that phthalates stopped being used in any US plastic wraps in 2006, companies aren't required to list what's in their plastic wrap. So why take chances?

Use glass containers in the microwave. And cover with a paper towel or a glass cover.

5. If you must use plastic containers, hand wash them.

For times when you can’t use glass – like when you’re out running or biking – and you must use plastic, at least make sure to wash your bottle by hand. Use a mild dishwashing soap – and do not put it in the dishwasher as this will degrade the plastic and allow more BPA (or trace metals iin the case of single-use pplastic water bottles) to leach out.

For more information on BPA, check out these stories:

BPA in Dental Plastic: Are the Fillings in your Teeth Dangerous?

BPA: The Dangers of Canned Food May Be Greater Than Plastics

Where to Find Baby Bottles Without BPA -- and Formula and Pacifiers, Too

Where to Find BPA-Free Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups

BPA: Plastic Products That Are BPA-Free

Your BPA Questions Answered

Vegan This!

Julia — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:34:07 -0400

When I think of veganism the first thing that comes to mind is skimping. I always feel as though if I were to take that drastic step that I would be missing out on so many guilty pleasures. Bland food, bland clothing, it all makes it seem not worth the hassle, despite its powerful environmental impact. It’s the single most sustainable thing a person can do, so it is important to motivate people to want to take this giant step.

Designers, chefs, and entrepreneurs alike are changing the way we approach what we eat and what we wear to make it more ethical, and more natural and organic. There is actually a market out there for vegan products, which means that people are making this transition. Natalie Dean is just one of these people using her talent in design to motivate people to convert to veganism, even in small steps.

Natalie creates a stylish kind of footwear that vegans can invest in. It is difficult to find posh, stylish shoes that are made without leather. Only sensible shoes like sneakers, boots, and sandals are available. Recognizing her dilemma, Natalie created Beyond Skin, which is a stylish, sophisticated and vegan shoe company.

It was launched in 2001 and they are manufactured with polyester-based satin, organic cotton and imitation leather or imitation suede made from cotton-backed polyurethane. All the shoes are handmade and contain no plastic products. Celebrities and animal rights activists are catching on worldwide! You can check out her website at www.beyondskin.co.uk.

Natalie Dean is, obviously, not alone in her quest. World renowned vegan chef, Sualua Tupolo is also working to promote healthy lifestyle and diets for people all over the world. Besides preparing dishes for royalty all over the world, he, more importantly, teaches all over the country how to make vegan and vegetarian cuisine.

He teaches people all over the world how to properly and healthily prepare vegan food so that you don’t miss out on all of the most important vitamins and nutrients. This can be a huge risk with going vegan. Veganism takes a lot of research about how to get nutrients from foods that you have eliminated. If you’re thinking about going vegan a good resource is www.goveg.com. They have a lot of information about how to make the switch in a healthy manner.

So if you are considering making any of these transitions, seek out the options available to you and do it the right way. Going vegan is a really noble step to take, even going vegetarian makes an impact. All of these small steps directly affect the condition of our environment, one person at a time.