Sep

30

Microwave Popcorn: Yes, It Just May Kill You

Filed Under Food Safety | Comments Off

A good friend of mine and SafeMama reader sent me a link about the dangers of microwave popcorn.  While this might be old news to some, I have been living under the rock known as “motherhood.”  I figured that information like this can’t be in enough places.

There are a couple of reasons that microwaveable popcorn can pose a hazard to your health.  1. Because there’s nothing natural about being able to make popcorn in a microwave, the bag is lined with a coating that is known to break down into a substance known as PFOA, or the long impossible to pronounce name: perfluorooctanoic.  Better living through science?  Not when there’s a strong possibility of it being a carcinogen.   2. That yummy fake buttery flavor that we all love so much contains a chemical (deemed safe by the FDA.  Do you see a pattern here?) called diacetyl.    To the general public, it probably doesn’t pose a problem to most (although, I don’t like my foods to include ingredients I have a hard time pronouncing), however, factory workers that have been exposed to this chemical over extended periods of time have developed what they’ve started calling “popcorn lung.”  Or, again with the big long fancy name: bronchiolitis obliterans.

Now, the good news is that diacetyl has been phased out of most popcorn brands.   Orville Redenbacher and ACT II, both owned by ConAgra Foods had changed their recipe late last year and all new boxes should say “no added diacetyl” on the box.   Pop Secret’s popcorn was reformulated about a year ago, as was Jolly Time’s.  This doesn’t really help unless they remove the coatings from inside the bag.

So what can you do to get your popcorn fix and still avoid all of the chemicals?  Well, you can cook it the old fashioned way on the stove or you can still cook it in the microwave using the Silicone Zone Safe Corn Popper (thanks to Green Mom Finds for finding this awesome gadget!), which is glass and silicone, so it’s completely safe.   And you can use real butter to flavor your popcorn, which is so much better anyway.   Mmmmm butter.

Sep

30

Flu Vaccines Without Thimerosal

Filed Under Articles, Health & Medicine | Comments Off

The season is upon us and if you haven’t already been affected by a cold or flu, that time is rapidly approaching.  The Center for Disease Control recommends all children aged 6 months to 18 years, elderly, health care workers and pregnant women get a flu vaccination to help control the spread of flu. Many people do get a flu shot each year either out of fear or just from a doctor recommendation.  But not everyone agrees it’s the best idea.

Some parents believe the flu shot is abused and a waste… stating that many people still get the flu after receiving it and believe the CDC made mistakes in past years, protecting people against the wrong strains of flu.  Further, with the mounting number of vaccinations children receive to protect them from various diseases, parents are hesitant to add another shot to the pile.

Another concern is the use of Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that has come to light in recent years with regard to brain function and in some cases Autism.  However, parents now have a choice in the matter.  Some Doctors are carrying a thimerosal-free vaccine.  From the L.A. Times:

Some vaccines are thimerosal-free or carry only trace amounts of thimerosal: one product licensed for use for children ages 6 to 35 months (Sanofi’s Fluzone single-dose pre-filled 0.25 mL syringe or vial) and three products for children ages 2 to 5 (Sanofi’s Fluzone single-dose; MedImmune’s FluMist and Novartis’ Fluvirin single-dose pre-filled 0.5 mL syringe, which is for people ages 4 and older.

Additionally, Deborah Kotz (usnews.com) posed a concerned question regarding pregnant women and the flu vaccine.

I’m particularly concerned about giving flu shots to pregnant women because no one has really identified the threshold dose for which thimerosal can become problematic for tiny fetuses. Certainly, the amount of mercury in a single flu shot is very small and most likely harmless. “It’s equivalent to the amount in a small can of tuna fish,” says Tom Clarkson, a mercury researcher at the University of Rochester. “Still, we know that high levels of mercury can affect cell division in the developing brain of a fetus, and no one can say with absolute certainty that there’s no risk.“

In this scenario, if there is a mercury-free flu vaccine available it’s possible to err on the side of safety.  Whether you are on the side of full yearly vaccinations or not, you can decide what is right for you.  It’s nice to have options, isn’t it?

Sources and Further Reading:
Deborak Kotz:  An Option: Flu Vaccines Without Mercury-Based Thimerosal  U.S.News
L.A. Times: Flu Shots for Kids: Do They Help? Some Parents Say No

Sep

29

Review: The Green Beaver Company Natural Toothpaste

Filed Under Green Mama, Product Reviews | Comments Off

Back in a Dear SafeMama column someone had asked us for kids toothpaste recommendations.  We realize that some people are in the fluoride camp and some are against it.  Either way, finding a safe natural toothpaste can be a challenge especially if you’re trying to avoid sodium laureth sulfates and fluoride.  The lovely woman who owns and operates Nayla Natural Care, based in Canada, sent us a couple toothpastes to try out.

The Green Beaver Company has a line of natural toothpastes that are flouride free and completely natural.  They have a bevy of interesting flavors, which is key for me because natural toothpaste reminds me of dirt (Yes, I’m talking about YOU Tom’s of Maine) but this is definitely not the case with The Green Beaver Company.

Their flavors include Cilantro Mint, Green Apple, Star Anise and the two I tried Frosty Mint and Zesty Orange.  If you aren’t used to natural toothpastes it’s an adjustment no matter what.  No natural toothpastes behave the same way Crest does but they do still have the same desired effect.  This is no different and the suds factor is lower than traditional pastes, but the clean factor is not lacking.  And they don’t taste like dirt!  The Frosty Mint is a nice minty flavor and cleans along with natural mineral whiteners such as Silica and calcium carbonate.  They also add calcium ascorbate, which contributes to the normal development and maintenance of teeth and gums.  The Zesty Orange is a nice departure from usual mint flavors and is totally invigorating.

With the lack of flouride and all that other icky junk, these are safe for toddlers and children since they can safely swallow it without harm.  (They should be supervised but still.)

Find these and other great safe products here: Nayla Natural Care! Her store is adorable, has great products.  This is the perfect place for our Canadian readers to stock up on the products we review here on SafeMama.com!  SHe ships to the U.S. too!

Sep

26

Introducing LovelyMama! One-stop safe beauty!

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Green Mama, Website News | Comments Off

For a long time now we’ve gotten email after email from readers saying “Ok, we’ve got the kids covered, now what about US??”  We heard you.  We want to welcome our readers to visit our new sister site LovelyMama!  Since the birth of SafeMama.com, both Statia and I have been making big changes to the personal care items we put on our bodies and face.  We don’t want to put parabens and phthalates on our babies, so why should we want that junk on us too?  We’re far from having tried every product on the market but we’ve tried a lot of the alternatives out there and wanted to share our finding with you!

We’ll cover all areas of green and eco-friendly personal care including Make Up, Bath & Body, Hair Products, Skin Care, Pregnancy Body care products, Giveaways and much more (check out Statia’s updated review on the new Pit Putty as well as an exclusive discount code for Bubble and Bee)!  It’s hard enough reading all the awful things in the news about phthalates, lead in lipstick and the body burden woes of our teenage daughters – we wanted to create a space to talk about things you CAN use that won’t put you into an anxiety frenzy.

The products we feature will have to pass a long list of No’s to make it into our elite LovelyMama Seal of Approval category to make choosing what’s right for you easier.  The site just opened it’s doors and content is just starting to flow so check back with us, sign up for updates, and subscribe to the LovelyMama RSS feed to keep up with what’s going on over there.

This has been a long time in the making and has been sitting on the back burner for ages, so we’re happy to finally be able to share it with you!  Let’s all be eco-gorgeous!

Sep

25

Similac SimplePac: Is It BPA Free? We Can’t Tell.

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Product Safety | Comments Off

I intended to answer the burning question “Does the new Similac packaging contain BPA?” in Dear SafeMama yesterday.  But after I spoke with Similac®, I decided it warranted it’s own post because frankly, I am getting tired of trying to decipher their carefully orchestrated responses.

Here is what we know and what Similac is allowing us to know.  The new SimplePac™ container and lid is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) which indicated to me that the plastic container itself is BPA Free.  That much I know.  Here is where it gets tricky.  The representatives I spoke to, and I spoke to at least 3 because they kept transferring me when I pressed them for more information, will say this and only this:

“No portion of the container that comes in contact with the formula contains BPA.”

See the part I underlined?  That’s what concerns me.  They will not deviate from this scripted statement that I am sure their very expensive legal team created for them.  After the second rep transferred me to Pam, the Customer Relations representative specialist or whatever, I pressed further because I am not satisfied unless they say “Yes Ma’am, rest assured the whole thing is BPA Free.”

I asked Pam about the foil seal that typically is present in formula containers to preserve the product on the shelf.  I had no idea if this product even had one, but she confirmed it does.  She would not however provide me with any information regarding the foil seal, what it was made of and whether or not the foil is coated with an epoxy resin.  Many times those coatings do contain BPA.  She told me:

“We don’t have any information about that, I’m sorry.” And refused to delve any further claiming ignorance and denying she had any information to give me on the matter.  No information?  That sounds weird considering the company most CERTAINLY knows what its made of and whats on or not on it.   They don’t have any information they want parents to know is what it really means to me.

The main problem I have with their statement is that I don’t know what “comes in contact with the formula” means if they are being so strict in what they tell consumers.  Does it mean “only if you don’t turn it upside down so the formula doesn’t rest on the foil seal” count too?  Their resistance to disclose the materials on the foil seal makes me wonder.

Pam informed me that I should encourage our readers to call Similac if they have any questions.  Do go ahead and do that SafeParents.   Similac has a toll free number 1-800-232-7677 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., CST/CDT.  They would rather tell you, the ignorant consumer who doesn’t understand what HDPE is, themselves and bank on the fact that no one will ask the questions we really want answers to.

Bottom Line: To answer the original question “Is the new Similac SimplePac packaging BPA free?”  The answer for now is “Maybe.”  Or in Similac’s words “the part that comes in contact with the formula” is.

Sep

24

Dear SafeMama: Steambags Edition

Filed Under Dear SafeMama, Food Safety | Comments Off

Q: Do you all know if the plastic microwavable bags that frozen veggies come in are safe?

While technically, steamable bags are FDA approved and considered safe, I decided to give a call to Birds Eye to find out exactly what their SteamFresh bags are made of.   The representative told me that while they don’t contain BPA or PVC, they are a #7 plastic due to the fact that their Steamfresh bags are comprised of a mixture of plastics.  She didn’t have the information on exactly which plastics were used in making these bags, but she did say that it’s multiple resins laminated together and they’re NOT recyclable.  Awesome!  I totally want to microwave my food in that!

Listen, I know that we’re all busy and we live in a country where we thrive on convenience and instant gratification.  Most of us have jobs making it necessary to take shortcuts, but really, it only takes a few extra seconds to dump your frozen veggies into a Pyrex dish and throw it in the microwave.     Not to mention, cheaper.   Those Steamfresh bags are expensive!  Why not save yourself some extra money in these tough economic times?

We here at SafeMama have always recommended to microwave in glass or ceramic.  Never ever microwave in any kind of plastic, even if it’s listed as microwave safe.   All plastics have leaching capabilities on some level and it took how many years for people to realize that BPA wasn’t safe.  Who knows what they’ll find out about other plastics in the coming years.   It’s up to you to decide of the risk is worth it, but if you want our opinion, it’s not.

Sep

23

Consumer Beware: Get your BPA Information from the Source

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Food Safety, Product Safety | Comments Off

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while but only until a reader wrote in to let us know about a great “BPA Free” find did I find the hook I needed to effectively write this.  A reader (thank you to our lovely readers!  We adore you!) wrote in to let us know she found out that Little Bear Snack Foods packaged their canned bean dips in BPA Free cans.  And right there on their website it said,

“The cans are made from steel. We know we do not use biphenyl A.  The cans are lined with a food grade material.”

I was enthused that we may have found another canned food aside from Eden’s Organic Beans that were packaged in BPA Free cans.  The misspelling of the term Bisphenol-A had me a little worried though so I wrote in to the company to confirm.  After a day or two I got back an email from the parent company, Celestial-Hain, stating that BPA was safe, and approved by the FDA and that their cans only have trace amounts that would cause no harm to humans.  I’ll paste their full response below.  I was confused that they had a statement on their site (which I just noticed has since been removed) that they do not use BPA and they’d sent me information confirming their packaging does contain BPA.

I wrote back again to gain some insight but of course, I have not gotten a response back from the company.  It’s unfortunate a company was so misinformed or felt the need to misinform their customers in order to gain their trust.

This is the lesson I so desperately needed some of our readers to learn.  Find out for your self. I am by no means saying you can’t trust anyone.  There are many of us out here on the Internet striving to provide valid, correct and useful information regarding BPA and its safety.  That said, I think it’s extremely important that you not take everything you read at face value.  Write to these companies, ask questions, verify suspicions, educate yourself. The more noise these companies hear from consumers, the sooner our BPA Free options will increase.

I know many of our readers have been calling in to companies to find out the BPA status of products and reporting back here to us.  We’ve gotten many more emails letting us know your findings in the past few months.  (THANK YOU!) That means more of you are taking things into your own hands instead of relying on the Internet.  For that, I want to applaud our SafeMama Readers for taking the extra steps to get accurate information.  Keep it up SafeParents!

Here is the response I received from Celestial Hain:

M. Scoleri,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding our Little Bear Product. We strive to maintain the highest quality products and appreciate your patronage.

Most metal food and beverage packaging has a thin coating of an epoxy containing BPA on the interior surface. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound used in most metal food and beverage packaging. The interior surface of the can has a thin coating of an epoxy containing BPA, which protects public health by preventing corrosion of the can and contamination of food and beverage by not coming in contact with the metal. This is one of the very few FDA approved coatings that will provide the safety and shelf life that consumers expect from our products. Tests have indicated that trace amounts of BPA may be present in these can coatings. The minute amounts detected are well below levels deemed to be of concern for public health according to the FDA. The United States Center for Disease Control and The American Council on Science and Health, along with other Regulatory agencies worldwide, have extensively researched Bisphenol A and concluded there is no risk to human health. All coatings that come in contact with our products undergo stringent testing and comply with US Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

As one of our valued customers, your satisfaction is very important to us and we will share your comments with our Leadership Team. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-434-4246, Monday through Friday from 7AM – 5PM Mountain Time.

James

Consumer Response Representative  | Ref # 1726130

Sep

22

SafeMama Review: Allergaroo Chili Mac

Filed Under Product Reviews, allergies | Comments Off

So I’m a full-time worker, mother, wife, you name it and I pretty much seem to do it full-time.  Which means, I’m sort of… busy.  My son goes to day care during week and since he has food allergies, I prepare all his meals to bring in to “school” since he can’t eat the provided school lunches and snacks.

As much as I love preparing healthy foods for my son to eat, there are the occasions when there just aren’t enough hours in the day, and I find myself wishing for something easier to “make”.  Easier as in zero prep-work.  Not all time, but just for those days where 11p.m. finds me still cutting grilled chicken breast into toddler-sized bites for the following day.

My son’s food allergies make most pre-made foods not an option.  But I just recently found Allergaroo Chili Mac at my local market and decided to give it a whirl.  Allergaroo offers three pasta products that are free of eight major sources of allergies: milk, gluten, treenuts, peanuts, soy, eggs, fish and shellfish.  They’re ready-made with all natural ingredients and just need to be heated up.

I’ve read several reviews where parents reported that their children didn’t like the taste.  So I tasted it myself and thought it was pretty good.  Not exactly how regular pasta might taste, but good just the same.  Of course, the real test was my son, who wound up eating a whole bowl of it (which wound up being about half the packet).  Success!

So now, while I will still be putting together most of my little one’s lunches together by scratch, I do have a healthy and safe alternative to send him to school with when needed.  Whew.

Get it: I found Allergaroo products at my local Whole Foods, but it can be purchased directly from their website.

Sep

19

BornFree Unveils Orthodontic Pacifiers

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, product finds | Comments Off

BornFree, the makers of the well-known BPA Free Bottle brand, have released a new line orthodontic 2x Pacifiers for Day and Night Use.  The pacifiers are made from materials that are 100% free of Bisphenol-A, Phthalates and PVC, which will put any new mom at ease.  The pacis feature an innovative flexible handle an orthodontic silicone nipple, and a breathable shield.  The pacifiers come in twin packs with fun colors at a mere $7.99.  Non-toxic and affordable…sounds good to us!

BornFree has also released a line of stainless steel drinking bottles, flasks and food containers for adults and children, also available on their website.  Score!

Get It: Available on their website NewBornFree.com

Sep

19

Some Sassy Products Contain BPA

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Product Safety | Comments Off

We were disappointed to hear that some Sassy products contain BPA, in spite of their previous reassurances that they do not. Thanks to our friends at The Soft Landing, we were made aware of this new development.

Sassy has confirmed that the following do actually contain BPA:

  • Extra Gentle Soft Tip Spoon – BPA in handle
  • EZ Grip Feeding Bowl and Color Change Spoon – BPA in spoon
  • Snack Time Infa-Trainer Cup – BPA in cap over straw
  • Flexi Grip Toddler Fork and Spoon
  • Color Change Fork and Spoon

The Soft Landing has previously sold some of these items as BPA-free and they are immediately offering an exchange or store credit for anyone who has bought these products from them. You can contact them regarding returns at sassyrecall [at] thesoftlanding.com.

They are encouraging Sassy to issue a manufacturer’s recall for these products, and we agree with that. If they originally sold these as BPA-free and now concede that they aren’t, they should offer a refund to anyone who requests it. While we’re certainly glad that Sassy admitted there was an error, this is a serious blow to their credibility.

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