“This thread is growing out of a thread that was started about Sigg bottles and the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA). (Don’t worry, Sigg bottles have been cleared as safe!)
However, foods in #7 plastic containers and the majority of canned foods are exposed to this toxic chemical. Bisphenol-A is a plastic and resin ingredient used to line metal food and drink cans, and it’s a main building block for polycarbonate (PC) plastics. Even at low doses, Bisphenol A has been linked to cancer, birth defects, miscarriages, obesity, and insulin resistance, which can lead to Type II diabetes. Refer to the Environmental Working Group report on BPA for more information.
So, what can you do to avoid exposing yourself to this chemical? The EWG report linked above has some suggestions, but here are the top ways you can avoid it:
- Avoid all type #7 (PC) plastics. The most common plastic items of this type are those hard water bottles and some baby bottles. As an alternative, look for stainless steel bottles that are not lined with a plastic coating. Klean Kanteen is a popular brand, but my local Whole Foods carried another brand that I bought.
- If you can buy fresh or bulk food instead of canned items, do. If you can’t buy fresh or in bulk, look for food items in glass jars instead of cans or look for products from companies that don’t use BPA. Some common brands are listed below along with their answers about whether they use BPA in their cans. If you use a brand that’s not listed, please feel free to contact them directly to ask, then share your results here.
- Children are very susceptible to this chemical, so eliminate their exposure to all canned products, especially canned formula.
- Never microwave plastics, and don’t wash plastic in the dishwasher. If you use plastic tupperware, consider replacing them with glass storage containers such as Pyrex.”
joy….more stuff to worry about! it makes me so mad!
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