The Food and Drug Administration finally came out with their long-awaited update on the use of Bisphenol A in food contact applications and they say…….wait a little longer. The key paragraph of the release can use some parsing: Studies employing standardized toxicity tests have thus far supported the safety of current low levels of human exposure to BPA However, on the basis of results from recent studies using novel approaches to test for subtle effects, both the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health and FDA have some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children. (emphasis mine) By “novel approaches”, they mean studying it at low levels, treating it like a hormone, which can have an effect at very low dosage. This should hardly be considered “novel” when they have known BPA is…
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For good or ill, California often leads the nation’s social and cultural trends and legal standards. California’s passion for organic, local food, for example, has spread across the nation. When the state demanded lower vehicle emissions, manufacturers rushed to produce vehicles compliant with California’s regulations. With nearly forty million people buying consumer products in one state, manufacturers across the nation, as well as in China, tailor their specifications to meet California’s regulations. Here’s the “ill” part. In 1972, California passed legislation requiring flammability standards for upholstered furniture and baby products like high chairs, strollers and nursing pillows. Manufacturers met these new standards by using inexpensive, toxic and untested flame retardant chemicals. These flame retardants contained hazardous halogenated chemicals similar to PCB’s and Dioxins, two of the most toxic classes of chemicals, Untested in humans, these brominated and chlorinated flame retardants can cause cancer, birth defects, neurological and reproductive or endocrine…
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Click here to read the FREE report now. W.H.O. Declares Global Pandemic Turn FEAR into Confidence! Listen to the complete 3.5 hour recording on 4 audio CDs of the Health Ranger’s Swine Flu Advanced Preparedness Course, covering natural anti-virals, family safety, infrastructure disruptions, quarantine, preparedness gear and much more. Testimonials: “Mike Adams’ preparedness course turned our fears into confidence. This is POWERFUL information, coming from a trusted source. If you want to save yourself countless hours researching and getting prepared and if you want to do everything in your power to protect your family, I highly recommend the Health Ranger’s Advanced Preparedness Course.” - N. Nelson (Arizona) “This is packed information no one should miss.” - T. Valenzuela “Thanks Mike… during this class you covered prevention and preparedness from A to Z with integrity, brave honesty and outstanding knowledge! Thank you for your steadfast, thorough and cool-headed…
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My 15 month-old son, Hunter, already seems to prefer drinking out of a regular cup, trying to be just like his mom and dad. While this may seem like a milestone, it’s rather messy and often causes major tantrums whenever we are eating out. So much so that my husband and I have resorted to hiding our drinking glasses in our laps or under the table in the hopes of avoiding said tantrums. Needless to say, I was thrilled to finally get him to drink out of his sippy cups. We tried both the Klean Kanteen and the Safe Sippy by Kid Basix. All Grown Up (+) Both sippy cups resist leaks, which is wonderful with a destructive toddler. Since both are BPA-free and stainless steel, they are nicely insulated, which is great for keeping water cold when running errands. They are easy to assemble and have few parts…
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6 U.S. baby bottle firms agree to stop using BPA. Wed, Jan 13 2010 at 2:00 PM EST Read more: BPA, RAISING HEALTHY KIDS > Last week I wrote about the latest stainless steel baby bottles that have hit the market in response to consumer demand for bisphenol A or BPA-free baby products. It seems the makers of plastic baby bottles are listening to these demands as well, and scrambling to develop BPA-free plastic baby bottles that consumers will trust. The six largest makers of baby bottles recently announced that they will stop manufacturing baby bottles in the United States made with BPA, a chemical widely used in plastics but increasingly linked to a range of health problems. In addition, several retailers, including Babies R Us, told suppliers they would no longer stock baby bottles made with the chemical. The six U.S. baby bottle makers - Avent…
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MCT News Service In the face of research showing BPA’s harmful effects, many people are switching to BPA-free or glass baby bottles, shown here. Bisphenol-A, casually known as BPA, is a plastics chemical that has gotten much attention in recent years for its suspected harmful effects on health. Many plastic water bottles, can linings, baby bottles and other products contain BPA, and for the first time, research has shown that BPA has negative effects on the intestines. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences Journal showed BPA causes damage to the intestines, the first organ BPA meets after ingestion. According to the research, when rats were exposed to doses of BPA that were 10 times less than the amount thought to be safe for humans, their intestinal linings were damaged. The researchers are from the National Institute of Agronomic Research in Toulouse, France, according…
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The stories that captured our attention and demanded our action in 2009. Wed, Dec 30 2009 at 2:00 PM EST Read more: GREEN KIDS, RAISING HEALTHY KIDS > 1. H1N1: The biggest story for the year for parents was H1N1, or swine flu. Swine flu was the talk of the web town for months as parents tracked the illness, learned the symptoms, fretted over their own children, and pondered the decision to vaccinate. 2. CPSIA: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ushered in groundbreaking legislation with the passage of CPSIA, the Consumer Product Improvement Act. The act is intended to strengthen the standards for lead and other toxins, especially in products made for children. But the regulations were so strict that many small companies and toy manufacturers were left hanging out to dry. CPSC has backpedaled on the regulation with two delays aimed at helping small businesses meet the standard…
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The FDA has announced that it will blow a third self-imposed deadline on bisphenol A”the end of 2009″further pushing back a ruling on whether the ubiquitous plastic food-packaging ingredient is safe. So it’s still up to consumers to decide on their own whether they should be concerned about the ingredient that’s in soups, juices, drinks, even drinking water and home-canning lids, and is suspected in a wide range of health issues. At the Reno News & Review, Kat Kerlin writes about her experience in attempting a weeklong BPA-free diet. Six months pregnant, she finds it pretty much impossible to eliminate BPA from her life during the exercise, and she ultimately falls off the BPA-free wagon with a thud. Her chronicle is well worth reading for anyone attempting to live by the precautionary principle. Meanwhile, take it from the key federal official in…
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WASHINGTON - If the plastics, beverage and food industries have their way, Americans will continue to ingest the chemical bisphenol A - aka BPA - that is found in many plastic cups, bottles and food packaging materials. To protect the public health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, must move fast to ban BPA in containers, including baby bottles, plastic liners in aluminum cans and food packaging. The Consumer Products Safety Commission must also take action to ban BPA from plastic toys and school supplies, as well as coffee makers. Numerous scientific studies have concluded that BPA can cause neurological problems in babies and young children, and prostate and breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and even impotence in full-grown men. Perhaps, it is that risk of impotence that may move the congressional male majority, who often seem more concerned about their own reproductive abilities than the public good, to vote for…
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SIGG Bottles Now BPA Free. But What Were They Before?
So where does that leave us? 1. SIGG bottles made prior to August, 2008 still test at “no detectable levels” of … read more @ Treehugger