BPA Use in Plastic

Did you know that when you consume canned soups, beans & soft drinks, you also may be swallowing a controversial chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) that can leak into your food? Did you know that BPA is common in baby bottles and sippy cups? Yikes! Amanda just sent me an article about the use of this controversial chemical & it's possible side effects. And Sarah posted some helpful info about how to limit your exposure. I'm not sure what to do with all this information, but I thought I'd share it with you guys.

8 Ways to Avoid Harmful Chemicals in Plastics and Cans
1. If you already own polycarbonate bottles, including the Nalgene bottles, labeled #7 on the bottom, wash them by hand with mild dishwashing soap, not in the dishwasher, to avoid degrading the plastic and increasing leaching of BPA.
2. Even plastic does not last forever. Look for cracks or cloudiness on your reusable clear plastic bottles.
3. Use glass baby bottles or plastic bag inserts or switch to bottles that are labeled #5 and come in colors or are milky rather than clear.
4. Choose soups, milk & soy milk packaged in cardboard "brick" cartons, which are made of safer layers of aluminum and polyethylene (#2) and also recyclable.
5. Choose canned foods from makers who don't use BPA, such as Eden Foods , which sells certified organic canned beans and other foods.
6. Eat fresh foods in season and save the canned foods for convenience or emergencies. The exception is some canned fruit such as that found in smaller fruit-cocktail cans, which do not require a liner, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute.
7. Buy or can your own fruits and vegetables in safe glass jars.
8. Some wines have been found to contain up to six times the BPA of canned foods.

Here are a few more helpful sights: Purchase sippy cups/water bottles here or here. Solutions to reduce plastic and toxic exposures can be found here.