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Health Canada Releases Test Results Showing BPA in BPA-free Bottles

Alicia — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:05:14 +0000

We recently shared our thoughts on the test results obtained by Health Canada as well as our questions regarding the testing methods used. Now, thanks to a tip from Kevin Brodwick (Thinkbaby’s founder), we’ve learned that Health Canada has released the results! The study investigated migration of BPA from both polycarbonate and non-polycarbonate baby bottles and bottle liners. We’re impressed with their decision to publish the results and hope this will begin to shed some light on their strange findings.

It turns out that many of the major BPA-free bottle brands were shown to have a complete non-detect of BPA migration. If you remember, Health Canada had averaged all baby bottle brands together to form an average level of BPA migration. This left brands like Thinkbaby with the appearance that they contained small levels of BPA – which was not the case.

While opening the data for public scrutiny is certainly a step in the right direction, we see the need for much discussion and a complete re-test in the near future. After reviewing the test results, we remain unconvinced of the testing methods and have a whole new set of questions. Until we hear more definitive answers, we’ll continue holding our position of low concern.

>> REVIEW the full test results here.

Enviroblog Reports “Exposure to BPA Exceeds Safety Standards Confirmed by CDC”

Alicia — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:25:09 +0000

Enviroblog has become one of my favorite places to find the most current news about environmental toxins. Enviroblog was developed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to cover public health, environmental policy, and better consumer choices. EWG is one of the most comprehensive resources available, providing helpful research in areas such as a full Chemical Index and the Guide to Safer Kids Products.

In their November 9, 2007 article, Enviroblog explains a how a new CDC analysis establishes that the EPA’s “so-called safety standards are woefully inadequate.”

The dose EPA considers safe is based on decades-old data. Many scientists have said for years that the number is much too high, but the new CDC analysis shows that common exposure actually exceeds that dangerously high dose.

The analysis looked at samples from more than 2000 Americans and found detectable levels of BPA in 92.6%. The results indicate the continuous exposure of people living in the US to significant levels of BPA. Analysts also found that for many, BPA exposure exceeds the dose the EPA considers to be “safe.” In fact, levels in many cases exceeded those known to cause negative health effects in animals.

Other interesting (read: scary) facts from the analysis:

Children had higher levels of BPA than adolescents, and adolescents in turn had higher levels than adults. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise — while adults are primarily exposed through the lining of food cans, babies also have to contend with the lining of formula cans, and many toys designed for children contain BPA.

Women in the study had higher levels of BPA than men. Although some nail polishes contain BPA, that doesn’t seem sufficient to explain women’s consistently higher levels. I’ll be interested to see what scientists think may be the cause.

If we thought the debate over toxic plastics was already underway, just wait! It hasn’t even gotten started. Read the full article here.

What? The Safe Sippy is Finally Here? Let’s Give One Away!

Alicia — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:34:26 +0000

NOTE: This contest has ended. Thank you to all who participated!

We’ve been anxiously waiting for The Safe Sippy to arrive on the scene. The wait is about to be over! I spoke with Kid Basix yesterday, and our shipment is scheduled to arrive very soon. I highlighted it here and here for those of you who haven’t heard about it yet.

We’re so excited that we’re celebrating by giving The Safe Sippy to one lucky reader! You’ll have your choice of color and shipping is on us ($20 Value).

This is how it works:

Visit The Soft Landing Store and browse through our safer baby feeding gear
Come back and leave a quick comment on this post telling us what your favorite gear is and why

Now for the rules: US and Canadian residents. Deadline to enter is November 16th, 2007. The winner will be announced soon! Oh, and don’t forget to enter our Foogo Sippy Contest (the toughest sippy around). Enter the drawing by subscribing to receive our blog udpates via email. The deadline for our monthly contest is Friday November 30th, 2007 and is for new subscribers only.

UPDATE 6/21/08: We just confirmed with the Safe Sippy company that their new and improved cups will be landing in stores by the first week in July!

USA Today Sounds the Alarm on Bisphenol-a and Phthalates in Baby Products

Alicia — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:15:50 +0000

I am so excited to see that the media has finally stepped into the debate on toxic plastics in our babies’ bottles and toys. Until now, the growing uproar over the “Everywhere Chemical” has been raging quietly in research labs and in living rooms across America. Thanks to an eye-opening article released by USA Today, this important issue has been laid out for everyone to see. The authors said it in a wonderfully plain way:

Whether these chemicals should be banned or curtailed pits scientists against chemical companies, consumers against manufacturers, the EU against the United States and the state of California against toy makers around the globe.

The article also points out that parents are beginning to take action on their own, choosing to err on the side of caution to protect their children.

Though the government hasn’t made up its mind, parents increasingly have. Marina Borrone of Menlo Park, Calif., aims to protect her home from chemicals that she fears could harm her family or the planet. The restaurant owner and mother shuns most plastic in favor of old-fashioned glass baby bottles and wooden toys.

“Europe took it (phthalates) out of toys years ago,” Borrone says. “Why are we so behind?”

Her home state is catching up with her. This month, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law the country’s first ban on the use of phthalates in toys and other children’s products. Under the law, any product made for young children that contains more than one-tenth of 1% of phthalates cannot be sold or distributed in California beginning in 2009.

The chemical industry disagrees with that approach.

Born Free and Adiri baby bottle companies were named as great safer alternatives to polycarbonate baby bottles.

P.S. Take time to read and listen to the excellent information presented at the top of the USA Today article in a section labeled “Toxic Legacy: Can a Plastic ‘Alter Human Cells’?” Dr. Fred Vom Saal has been an inspiration to my own personal research in the area of endocrine disruptors.

‘Everywhere chemicals’ in plastics alarm parents
By Elizabeth Weise and Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

Concerned Parent Creates The Safe Sippy

Alicia — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:20:19 +0000

The Safe Sippy is a stainless steel sippy cup created by concerned parents in response to the growing body of scientific evidence about the dangers of toxic chemicals, used to make many plastics.

The Safe Sippy was created by a Daddy who knows how dangerous plastics are, and it drove him crazy that he was giving his two year old son water every morning in a cup made from toxic chemicals.

Much thought was given to every feature while designing the cup. The most important issue of all was safety. So why did they use plastic? Here’s how they responded to that issue:

We kept contact between water and plastic to a minimum, and we insisted that all our plastics be certified free of Bisphenol A, phthalates and DEHA. We pay for extensive independent laboratory testing on our cups to make sure they are free of these chemicals. Lastly, we make our cap out of Polypropylene, #5 plastic. PP is the most stable of all plastics.

They also thought of all the fun stuff:

Like little messy hands that can’t quite hold onto big things yet
Developing mouths and speech abilities of growing infants
Children’s desire to look at bright, colorful objects
Even children’s propensity for turning food delivery systems into projectiles!

Klean Kanteen Safe Sippy Provides a Durable, Eco-friendly Option for Toddlers

Alicia — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:50:25 +0000

When it comes to safe sippy cup options for a busy toddler, there are few that stack up to the Klean Kanteen. As one of the first available, it has proven to be a trustworthy, solid sippy cup.

The Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup is a reusable, lightweight and risk-free 12oz stainless steel bottle designed for small hands. It comes with a sippy adapter made from safe, non-leaching polypropylene (pp#5) and 2 BPA-free sippy spouts.

Another worthwhile aspect for investing in the Klean Kanteen is that it grows with your child. It already holds a little more liquid than most sippy cups, and the lid can be converted to a sports cap when your child is ready.

Blog Action Day: Speaking Out Against Bisphenol-a for the Health of Our Babies

Alicia — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:03:36 +0000

Our babies need our help. It has become apparent through hundreds of research studies that Bisphenol-a (BPA) is a harmful, hormone disruptor commonly found in plastic baby bottles. So many of us still accept the rhetoric spewed by the plastics industry while waiting for more “concrete evidence.” Well, I’m done waiting for everyone to shake hands and agree that the plastics industry might be pushing their “polycarbonate is safe” message simply to pad their pockets. The reason for their insistence is obvious: the rapidly expanding multibillion-dollar market for Bisphenol A has become one of the highest-volume chemicals in commercial production. BPA is one of the top 50 chemicals in production in the United States, generating billions of dollars for the plastics industry.

It’s outrageous that BPA hasn’t already banned in the U.S. So what can we do to make an impact?

As a start, we can educate ourselves and everyone we know about the dangers of Bisphenol-a exposure, especially in children:

Increase in obesity and diabetes
Interference with the normal development of a fetus
Stimulation of mammary gland development, which is a risk factor for breast cancer
Early onset of puberty, and stimulation of mammary gland development in females
Changes in gender-specific behavior
Changes in hormones, including decreased testosterone
Increased prostate size
Decreased sperm production
Altered immune function
Behavioral effects including hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, impaired learning and other changes in behavior

Secondly, we need to learn where BPA lurks. It can be found in places you would never dream of, such as: plastic coating for children’s teeth to prevent cavities, as a coating in metal cans to prevent the metal from contact with food contents, as the plastic in food containers, refrigerator shelving, water bottles, returnable containers for juice, milk and water, micro-wave ovenware and eating utensils, fungicide, antioxidant, flame retardant, rubber chemical, and polyvinyl chloride stabilizer. BPA contamination is also widespread in the environment. For example, BPA can be measured in rivers, estuaries, and sediment. It is quite persistent and under normal conditions in the environment it does not readily degrade.

Third, make the choice to protect our babies by replacing toxic feeding gear. MommyBlogsToronto gives us some wonderful tips:

Until Bisphenol A is banned, we can switch to glass bottles. Or we can look for safer plastic bottle options. The “safest” plastic bottles are reportedly made from high-density polyethylene (look for a number 2 in the recycling triangle symbol on the bottom). Other good options are low-density polyethylene (#4 in the recycling symbol) or polypropylene (#5 in the recycling symbol). Bisphenol A is highest in plastics with a #7 in the recycling symbol.

Last, but not least, work to ban toxic chemicals in food containers and retail products.

In this age of readily available information, we have no excuse but to educate ourselves and take action to create change for the better.

What is the Difference Between the Funtainer and the Foogo? A Review by Baby ToolKit

Alicia — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 17:50:33 +0000

The folks at Baby Toolkit put together a very well thought out review of the Funtainer and Foogo straw bottles. The review covers every point of use, from specific design differences to use-ability for toddlers vs. older children.

Back when we first became concerned about the presence of bisphenol-A in sippy cups and bottles, I lucked into finding a great Thermos FUNtainer straw bottle for Ranger. The stainless steel bottle’s spring-loaded flip-top entertained him for much of multi-hour long car ride, so I quickly fell in love with the bottle.

When Z Recommends reviewed the new Foogo line of baby and toddler products, I couldn’t help but observe the similarity between the “new” Foogo straw bottle and our FUNtainer. Jeremiah at Z Recs agreed that they appeared the same and even wrote a post about their apparent similarity.

Well, looks can be deceiving. Thanks to some lovely people at Thermos, we got our hands on a Foogo straw bottle, a Foogo food jar, a FUNtainer bottle, and a FUNtainer food jar.

It turns out that though the Foogo and FUNtainer lines look very similar, they have different form and function.

The straw bottles have a very different spout assembly. Both assemblies are easy to clean and sturdy.

After a thorough investigation, they came to the following conclusion:

Foogo seems a great investment for anyone with very young children or infants because although they’re designed for youngsters, their function and design are not limited to that age group.

Read the full review for more great information: Thinking Thermos: A Funtainer and Foogo Comparison.

UPDATE 11/20/2007: Good news! We’ve added FUNtainer straw bottles to The Soft Landing Store!

From We LOVE Our Funtainers!

Nature Moms “Battle of the BPA Free Sippy Cups” Review of the New Foogo Stainless Steel Sippy

Alicia — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 23:30:56 +0000

The Nature Moms Blog put together a helpful child tested comparison of BPA free sippy cups. They took several different safe sippy cups and put them to use in a real-world setting. Take a look at their take on the Thermos Foogo Sippy Cup:

Thermos Foogo Sippy Cup (Price $14.99-17.99) – This cup is also stainless steel like the KK [Klean Kanteen] and it has a soft plastic spout. You can also get it with or without side handles. There is even a taller cup with a straw available. The colors are quite attractive with blue/yellow and pink/purple combos. I have one friend that claimed to have a few small leak issues but so far we have not. One BIG advantage that this cup has over the KK bottle is that it is also a thermos. Warm drinks stay warm and cold drinks stay cold. It is good, sturdy cup. I love that it is made of stainless steel, I love that it is also a thermos, and I REALLY love the ultra stylish design. It is one gorgeous sippy cup (did I really just say that). My kids gave this cup an A and I gave it an A+.

We recently added the Foogo line of safer products. You can find the Sippy with Handles, Sippy without Handles, Straw Bottle and Food Container at The Soft Landing.

The Bisphenol-A Debate – Truly Toxic or Money Making Ploy?

Alicia — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:57:00 +0000

The Bisphenol-A Debate – Truly Toxic or Money Making Ploy?
By Alicia Voorhies

Bisphenol-A (BPA) has come under scrutiny concerning its potentially harmful effects on babies and young children related to its hormone-disrupting properties. Bisphenol-A is actually an artificial estrogen, but it is bonded together in a chain of molecules to create the plastic called polycarbonate. Most major U.S. baby bottle manufacturers use the BPA chemical in their production (such as Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex), as well as food-storage containers and toys.

The first evidence of BPA’s estrogen-like abilities came from experiments that involved feeding it to rats in the 1930’s. Bisphenol-A later became a normal part of plastics manufacturing when chemists discovered that it could be polymerized to form polycarbonate plastic. Recently, scientific studies have shown that the unstable BPA bond will allow the chemical to leach into food or beverages in contact with the plastic.

Growing demand for polycarbonate products has driven the rapidly expanding multibillion-dollar market for Bisphenol A. It has become one of the highest-volume chemicals in commercial production. U.S. industries manufacture and import approximately 75,000 chemicals, 3,000 of them at over a million pounds per year. BPA is one of the top 50 chemicals in production in the United States, generates billions of dollars for the plastics industry, which produces about 2.5 billion pounds of the chemical per year.

The Bisphenol-A Debate

Plastics manufacturers are up in arms and are pushing to convince the public that Bisphenol-A is safe. The debate continues to escalate as a result of numerous scientific studies demonstrating a link between low levels of BPA and a laundry list of illnesses, including cancer. Proponents of Bisphenol-A continue to hold fast to the opinion that low level doses of BPA do not cause noticeable harm to anyone, including babies. Plastic manufacturers point to older research studies performed in the 1980’s that determined safe levels of BPA to be less than 50 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day. Unfortunately, this level of exposure is still significantly higher than the low doses that some studies have shown to cause adverse health effects. Current research shows that BPA is just as powerful as estradiol (the common human form of estrogen) and is capable of disrupting endocrine cell communication all the way down to 0.23 parts per trillion.

Liza Gross, a science writer with the Public Library of Sciences (PLoS) wrote an excellent synopsis of the behind the scenes debate currently taking place. In her article “The Toxic Origins of Disease” (June 2007), she states, “Faced with conflicting reports of harm from a chemical in mass circulation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked the National Toxicology Program (NTP) to review the evidence on Bisphenol-A. In its initial review in 2001, the NTP panel decided there was “credible evidence” that low doses of BPA can cause effects on specific endpoints, but that the effects had not been ‘conclusively established as a general or reproducible finding.’ This equivocal conclusion did not sit well with industry groups, so the American Plastics Council (APC) commissioned its own review from Harvard Center for Risk Analysis (HCRA), which has received funding from all the major BPA producers and their trade groups.”

Gross continues, “In a 2005 commentary, Fred vom Saal [a developmental biologist at the University of Missouri] and Claude Hughes, a reproductive endocrinologist who had served on the HCRA panel, argued that the report was already obsolete when it came out. By the end of 2004, they had identified 115 published studies on low doses of Bisphenol-A. They also found a troubling trend. Ninety percent of government studies found significant effects of Bisphenol A at doses below the EPA’s lowest adverse effect level, but not a single [plastics] industry study found any effect.”

Gross goes on to say, “Researchers say endocrine-disrupting chemicals can permanently harm the developing organism and may even promote obesity. But the chemical industry doesn’t want you to believe them. The chemical industry has defended its products by attacking the credibility of scientists reporting ill effects. This strategy involves hiring consultants and commissioning reviews that dispute the findings or minimize potential human risks from the chemical under study.”

Outcomes of Exposure to Bisphenol-A in Children

Researchers also have shown that even low levels of estrogen-mimicking BPA are harmful to animals and people, especially babies and young children. Bisphenol-A may cause adverse health effects, such as:

Increase in obesity and diabetes
Interference with the normal development of a fetus
Stimulation of mammary gland development, which is a risk factor for breast cancer
Early onset of puberty, and stimulation of mammary gland development in females
Changes in gender-specific behavior
Changes in hormones, including decreased testosterone
Increased prostate size
Decreased sperm production
Altered immune function
Behavioral effects including hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, impaired learning and other changes in behavior

Bisphenol-A it has also been used in manufacturing other items such as plastic coating for children’s teeth to prevent cavities, as a coating in metal cans to prevent the metal from contact with food contents, as the plastic in food containers, refrigerator shelving, water bottles, returnable containers for juice, milk and water, micro-wave ovenware and eating utensils, fungicide, antioxidant, flame retardant, rubber chemical, and polyvinyl chloride stabilizer. BPA contamination is also widespread in the environment. For example, BPA can be measured in rivers, estuaries, and sediment. It is quite persistent and under normal conditions in the environment it does not readily degrade.

Taking Action: Removing Bisphenol-A From Your Child’s Environment In their comprehensive report “Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns” the Environmental Working Group summarizes the quandary well, “The vast majority of chemicals in use today do not have anywhere near sufficient data needed to assess their safety, particularly their safety for the unborn baby or young child.”

This remarkable information showcases the vast difference in findings, and begs the question – do we continue using polycarbonate plastics while we wait for more damning evidence, or do we take action now based on what researchers, who are not funded by the plastics industry, have brought to light?

Successfully changing one’s lifestyle habits does take a fair amount of effort, and often a financial commitment. Even so, after weighing what evidence we do have, I choose to take action now. The evidence is just too great to ignore.

Tips for Making Preventative Changes

HealthyChild.org has done an excellent job of arming us with the knowledge we need to begin making some foundational changes. Here are a few tips from their website to help you get started:

Avoid baby bottles and sippy cups made of polycarbonate plastic. Choose alternative baby feeding gear made of glass, polyethylene, polypropylene (recycling symbol #’s 1, 2 or 5), polyamide or polyethersulfone (PES). There are many safer bottle and sippy cup options available. You can find a very helpful BPA Free Bottle and Sippy Cup Cheat Sheet at Safemama.
Look for the recycling code (#1-7) on plastic bottles. If unlabelled, call the manufacturer to ask about the plastic used. Try to avoid #3 PVC, #6 PS, and #7 polycarbonate.
Avoid heating breast milk and infant formula on the stove or in the microwave in plastic; dangerous chemicals are more likely to leach when you heat in plastic containers.
Avoid plastic bottles that have decorations printed on the inside. These run into formula when it’s been heated. Also, avoid disposable nursers, as the plastic bags may leak or burst.
Choose fresh, frozen and dried foods over those that are canned. (Metal cans are lined with plastic.)
Make plastic your last choice: buy and store food in glass, ceramic or metal containers, as most plastic types have been reported to leak chemicals into food.
Avoid dental sealants, which may contain BPA, for children’s baby teeth.
Do not heat plastics, especially if they contain fatty foods. Heating fatty food in plastics can cause greater leaching.
Microwave in glass or ceramic only. Do not use plastic wraps, plastic cutlery and dinnerware (such as plastic plate holders).
If using plastic storage containers, make sure hot food items have cooled before placing them in the container.

There are safer alternatives on the market now, so there is no reason to continue using a chemical that has a high potential to cause harm. Why wait for the government to ban BPA in five or ten years?