Governments are often behind the consumer curve so we were pleased to see on the news that Ottawa is catching up with the concerns of many parents by being the first government agency anywhere to ban the use of bisphenol-a (BPA) in baby bottles.
And the U.S. may not be far behind. The U.S. National Toxicology Program released a report (still in draft form) last week stating that more research needs to be done, but there are some concerns that BPA, commonly found in plastics, could cause behavioral changes in infants. Two days later Walmart announced it would start pulling baby bottle with BPA off its shelves.
The American Chemistry Council believes this is much ado about nothing. It has defended bisphenol-a as safe and characterized the latest flurry of media about it as "unnecessarily confusing and frightening the public."
This topic has been all over the news the past few days so finding more information shouldn't be hard. Here are a few articles to get you started:
"Ottawa to ban baby bottles made with bisphenol A," CBC News online.
"Wal-Mart to Pull Bottles Made With Chemical BPA" by Ylan Q. Mui, The Washington Post.
"Canada Takes Steps to Ban Most Plastic Baby Bottles" by Ian Austen, The New York Times.
Here are links to a few non-BPA baby bottles and sippy cups we've looked at this past year:
This is great news, but I just found out that BPA lines the metal in cans of liquid and powdered infant formula, including Wal-Mart's store brand formula, called Parent's Choice (manufactured by PBM Products). We use Parent's Choice Organic formula, but apparently there is NO powdered formula on the market that is not packaged in BPA containers (except maybe Nestle, which doesn't offer an organic option).
As far as I know, ready-to-drink (not concentrated) liquid formula in plastic bottles is the only way to avoid BPA in formula, but it winds up being hundreds of dollars more expensive to use.
More info is here:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/infantformula
view deoxy's profile
Deoxy, in your link they state that the powdered formula is the recommended type of formula if you don't use liquid as the BPA exposure is lower.
But I wonder what hundreds of other products contain BPA and phthalates? Most food containers have BPA or phthalates (ketchup, mayo etc) In many ways, it seems almost impossible to live without some exposure to these plastics. I feel almost like I would need to live in a plastic bubble....errr glass bubble... to prevent exposure to toxins and plastics. It is an impossible battle.
view molly_DC's profile
Yes, liquids in metal containers are the worst, then powders in metal containers. The BPA-free liquid formula I was referring to was the kind in plastic containers. Only the metal containers are lined with BPA.
(Of course, you have to check the recycling number on the package and make sure it's #1,2 or 5.)
view deoxy's profile
My hope is that more women will breastfeed because of this. No recalls there.
view aladywhoknows's profile
Yes, yes, yes. We must have the "required" breast feeding post. Sigh. But some people cannot breast feed. Thanks for your unhelpful and unneeded post.
view molly_DC's profile
Hey, nothing wrong with making mention of breastfeeding, in my opinion. Our society is so saturated with product marketing these days that I know of many women who didn't even consider it as an option. You see a lot more enfamil ads than breastfeeding ads, in my experience. ;)
In regards to the actual topic, I'm glad to see that something is being done about the use of these types of plastics.
view Speakaboo's profile
(1) Even if moms breastfed at a 100% rate, that does NOT excuse manufacturers or the government from allowing toxins to be in our food-containing plastics.
(2) Even in the ads for formula and on the cans, there is the ubiquitous "breast is best" phrase. And in books and magazines, breastfeeding is always touted as the best option. You'd have to be blind not to notice. You can't turn pages without seeing moms nursing in all types of ads for Boppies, pumps, nursing bras, rocker-gliders, cosleepers, infant carriers, etc.
view stickyricemama's profile
Genxmom: our government follows a scientific policy that needs scientific proof that a plastic causes X bad thing(s) to happen. It doesn't ban a plastic until it is deemed safe by science (like in the EU). It isn't that a lot of these plastics are bad; they just have NO data. The EU bans them outright since there is a lack of evidence. Personally, I like the EU's approach. I wish our country would be more cautious about toxins/plastics/chemicals.
Speakaboo: I couldn't breast feed due to pregnancy related medical problem and I cannot escape the "breast is best" people. If it makes you feel better, I have encountered a lot of incredibly rude people who can't really seem to mind their own business. There are PLENTY of people out there pushing breast feeding, trust me! The ones who said they didn't consider it an option were probably just trying to be polite so the conversation would end.
view molly_DC's profile
The Canadian government has said it will work with industry to remove BPA from infant formula containers. Over the weekend, I also read that pregnant women are being asked to avoid products that contain BPA. The government's main concern with respect to this issue is infant/fetal health - the Health Minister believes it is better to be safe than sorry.
view PrettyKitty's profile
BPA is really only a problem when it starts to leach out of the plastic. BPA in bottles is a potential issue, because the bottles are washed at a high temperature, thus potentially aiding the migration of the plasticizer (BPA) out of the plastic into the liquid the baby is drinking. The lining of the the containers that dry formula is packaged in may contatain BPA, but most likely the BPA is staying in the lining, because one does not heat the dry formula in the containers. The real potential issue is when plastics are heated above their glass transition temperature and the little components in the plastic start to move/ leach.
view TaraJane's profile