subject: Warning: Bpa May Be Affecting Your Health [print this page] BPA stands for Bisphenol A, which is a chemical that has been used in the manufacture of plastics since the 1960s. It was common in food storage plastics, including babies bottles and plastic drink bottles until very recently.
According to the American Chemistry Council, BPA presents no risk to humans, although it has been proven that it can leach into food or drink from the inside of plastic containers, or metal containers that have been lined with an epoxy resin. Many can manufacturers use such a lining to protect the food inside and it may not be readily apparent to the consumer.
The US Department of Health and Human Services, however, has some concern over the use of BPA in food storage containers. Concerns are primarily around children, infants and foetuses. There may be some link to behavioural issues and BPA may have some effect on the growing brains and other organs of foetuses and infants.
The Food and Drug Administration has also expressed concerns, but has not issued an outright ban on the product. Instead, the FDA has issued a partial ban and taken other measures to actively discourage the use of BPA and assisting in finding alternatives. The partial ban only applies to baby bottles. Canada and the EU have also banned the use of BPA in baby bottles. Canada became the first country to declare BPA a toxic substance in 2010. Many countries have recognised that there may be a problem and have either commenced processes to ban it's use in baby and children's products, or at the very least issued warnings and/or guidelines for parents.
Happily, many manufacturers and retailers have implemented their own voluntary measures to phase out BPA. In many cases this has been a success as the companies now market their BPA-Free products.
What can you do?
1.Do not overheat polycarbonate plastics. Polycarbonate plastics can be found inside almost all aluminium cans. To look at, it is a hard clear plastic and light in weight. If the container has a number 7 inside the recycling symbol on the bottom, then it is polycarbonate.
a.Microwaving polycarbonates is not recommended.
b.Washing polycarbonates in dishwashers with hot water and harsh chemicals is not recommended.
2.Seek alternatives. Look for products with a different recycling number than 7. Although this is not foolproof, a clear plastic container with a number 7 should be a clear warning sign.
3.Glass, china and stainless steel rarely have any BPA products associated with them, although the inside of a lid on a glass jar may contain BPA.
4.Cut back on canned food. Cans are often lined with BPA containing epoxy resin.
5.Seek out products that are labelled BPA free. Especially for drink bottles, baby bottles and children's cups, cutlery or plates.
Look out for BPA-Free in the marketing materials of major manufacturers and retailers. Some companies who have implemented either fully or partially BPA free policies are: Wal-Mart, Camelbak, and Toys-R-Us. Sunoco, a petrochemical company has implemented a policy that it will not sell BPA products to companies unless they agree that BPA won"t be used in children"s products.
