Nov

3

General Mills Muir Glen Ditching BPA in Canned Tomatoes But…

Filed Under Articles, Bisphenol-A | 12 Comments

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    I ran over an article at the same time that my friend from Ely Organics did on Facebook and we were questioning the accuracy of the information.  So of course we started digging around and I decided to give Muir Glen a call to get clarification.  Or at least as much clarification as a helpful customer service rep is allowed to give me.

    The article in question, published in The Independant on November 1st said (amongst other things)

    “General Mills, the US giant behind the Green Giant tinned brand, has already ditched BPA from its Muir Glen tomato range, while Campbell Soups says it has done “hundreds” of tests exploring alternatives.”

    While this is definitely good news, it’s also kind of a sweeping statement that leaves more questions than comforting answers.  A quick look at the Muir Glen website reveals a statement made by the company informing us that they will be transitioning to BPA free cans.

    “Muir Glen has been working diligently with our can suppliers to develop and test alternative linings that do not use BPA, and we have successfully identified and tested an alternative that has proven safe and viable in our processing of tomatoes. We are transitioning to cans with liners that do not use BPA as we are canning this year’s tomato harvest.”

    Great! But…. still, we’re left with the following questions: Are they on the shelves now? If not how will I know? When will the new cans BE on the shelves? and the million dollar question “What is the new lining made of?”  What if it ends up being worse than BPA?  Once upon a time BPA was “safe and viable” We know where that got us. So I called and here’s what I found out:

    The 411: According to customer service rep I spoke to, who was quite helpful told me that the new harvest of tomatoes will be packaged in the new BPA Free lined cans.  The new BPA free canned tomatoes are not yet on the shelves.  They will also not be labelled BPA Free.  I asked “How will customers know which ones are which?”  He told me they will eventually be given a date of production and that all cans made after that date will be packaged in the BPA free cans.  As of right now they do not have that date of production available. The rep recommended I call back in February to obtain a date of production.

    I also inquired about the new lining and all he was able to tell me was that it was a BPA Free non-epoxy lining.  Not entirely helpful but it was all he knew for now. I worry that a new lining will just lead to the same situation all over again that we have now with BPA.  What is it? How did they test it? This is what keeps me up at night.  I’m weird like that.

    I was a little surprised when he asked me if I would like the cans to be labeled BPA Free.  I practically screamed YES into his ear and he said he would pass that information along to the company.  Hopefully is enough of us ask for it, that might actually happen and it will catch wind with other canned food makers.

    Feb

    25

    Ready to Serve Soup in BPA free containers

    Filed Under product finds, Product Reviews | 8 Comments

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      I don’t know about you, but with this winter being particularly harsh and full of snow snow and more snow, I do miss a good hearty soup.   Because cans are lined with BPA, soup has been ousted from our house, that is until now.  My husband went grocery shopping last night and brought home some Dr. McDougall’s ready to serve soup, in cartons.   He noticed that they were in BPA free containers, which is why he picked them up (my husband, he is catching on.  Smart man, that one).   Most of the soups that come freeze dried in the cups, I don’t know if you’ve tried them, but yuck.  They lack in flavor, and are just not the same.   Of course, you could just make up a large batch of your favorite soup and freeze it, but if you’re pressed for time, or you don’t feel like making every single type of soup in existence to keep on hand, this is a really good alternative, and the taste, according to him, is pretty good.

      On top of the containers being BPA free, the soup is All Natural, unlike the preservative laden canned counter parts, and the containers are a nice size.   You could easily get 2-3 bowls of soup out of one container.    I’m glad that he spotted it when he did, because it looks as if winter is going to be here forever, and I am freezing!  Good Job, Mr. SafeMama!

      Get it: You may be able to find the new cartons in your local grocery store , or you can order it by the case directly from their website. (tip:  ask a friend if they want to split the cost with you so that you don’t have too much, and it’ll cut your cost as well).

      Feb

      24

      Kind Signs Stroller Signs!

      Filed Under product finds, Product Reviews | 2 Comments

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        Having a baby again, I had forgotten how much other people love babies. I cannot go to a store without people swooning and goo goo gah gah-ing at my handsome little guy. Not that I blame them. He is utterly adorable. And if I forget to put on his socks? People can’t resist coming up to touch his little piddies. I can’t keep my hands off his feet either. But I’d rather not have strangers touching my baby when I’m out and about. That sounds like I’m a grump. But in reality, there’s germs, illnesses, flu’s and all kinds of icky things he isn’t immune to that could be lurking on the kind hand of a stranger in the produce aisle. I’m also the type of person who has trouble asserting myself in situations where I’m uncomfortable.

        I found MamaBears.com one day surfing the Internet and I was so excited to find their adorable Kind Signs. Kind Signs are a silicone “sign” that says “Your Germs Are Too Big For Me, Please Don’t Touch”. You can hang them on your stroller, carrier, shopping cart, cribs, diaper bag or anywhere your little cutie is sitting to gently let people know you’d rather they not touch your baby. Each sign is large enough for people to read easily and is a nice way of saying “hands off”. The signs are made of silicone which is BPA, PVC and Phthalate free so if baby happens to get his mitts on it’s not the end of the world.

        They come in Orange, Blue or Pink and are only about 8 bucks. I keep mine in my diaper bag so I can easily whip it out while I’m out shopping with my little man. I’ve not had any trouble with strangers touching him since (but we still get the goo goo gah gah’s) and I’m a happier mom for it.

        GET IT: You can order your own Kind Sign from MamBears.com!

        Feb

        11

        Cheat Sheet: Natural Toothpaste & BPA Free Toothbrushes For Kids

        Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Bisphenol-A, Product Safety, PVC Free | 12 Comments

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          We get a lot of questions about toothpaste and fluoride and “my Dentist says my son needs fluoride drops”  here and I am still kind of wishy washy about fluoride.  Especially after having read the great articles on SAFBaby regarding Fluoride… it really makes you wonder whether it’s the best thing.  Whether you are anti or pro fluoride, you might also be concerned with the other ingredients in toothpaste such as: sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, artificial colors, and triclosan. Here’s a quickie Cheat Sheet based on the natural toothpastes for kids we have tried or know of that are free of the ingredients in question. I figured a new list of BPA Free toothbrushes was appropriate too.

          Last updated: April 13, 2011

          Natural Toothpastes

          • Weleda Tooth Gel (Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 3
          • Kiss My Face Kids Toothpaste (Fluoride and Fluoride Free): Sweetened with Stevia – Skin Deep Rating: 3 (w/ Fluoride: 4)
          • Toms of Maine (Fluoride and Fluoride Free): NOTE: The only caveat with this one is that it  contains sodium lauryl sulfate so if that’s a problem for you skip it and try one of the other brands. – Skin Deep Rating: 3 (w/ Fluoride: 4)
          • Burt’s Bees Kids Toothpaste (Fluoride and Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 1 (old formulation)
          • Green Beaver Natural Toothpaste (Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 2
          • Jason Natural Cosmetics Orange Kids Only Toothpaste: (Fluoride and Fluoride Free)  Certified organic, wheat and gluten free – Skin Deep Rating: 2 (w/ Fluoride: N/A)
          • Natural Dentist (Fluoride and Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep: 4 – They only have a rating for the kids toothpaste with Fluoride
          • Miessence Organics Toothpaste (Fluoride Free) - Skin Deep Rating (0-1)
          • Toothsoap (Fluoride Free)
          • Dr. Nate’s Natural Toothpaste (Xylitol instead of Fluoride)

          (Note: It was just pointed out to me that some aluminum toothpaste tubes may contain BPA so depending on whether recyclable vs possible traces of BPA is your concern, you can make that call.

          Make Your Own

          Our friends at LuSa Organics (they make awesome soaps and body care… I live for their body scrubs) posted a great blog post and tutorial for making your own toothpaste.  Check it out:

          LuSa Organics Homemade Toothpaste

          • 2 tsp Natural Liquid Soap (try unscented Dr. Bronner’s or similar)
          • 4 Tb Coconut Oil
          • 1 Tb Water
          • 2 Tb Xylitol (optional)
          • 1/2 tsp Stevia powder
          • 10-20 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
          • 5-10 drops Spearmint or Sweet Orange Essential Oil

          Boil a small pan of water. Measure out 1 Tb and stir into it Xylitol (optional). Stir to dissolve. Melt coconut oil and add to water mixture. Measure in soap and stevia and blend (a stick blender works well if you have one. Otherwise use your regular blender or whisk by hand like mad).  Blend while the formula cools enough to stay combined. Add essential oils and transfer to a clean squeeze or pump bottle. Cool completely, shake well.

          Read their full post here… make sure to also check out their skincare items…. Looooove!

          BPA / PVC / Phthalate Free Toothbrushes

          Here’s a quick list of the toothbrushes we know of that are BPA and PVC free from our previous search for safer toothbrushes, FAQ: What’s In My Toddlers Toothbrush, along with a couple new ones.

          I *JUST* stumbled onto The Soft Landing’s safer toothbrush finds in their blog. (I should have known Alicia would be on top of this one!)  She says the following are all BPA/PVC/Phthalate Free too:

          Dental Sealants

          many people worry about BPA in dental sealants and it’s a real concern, especially for kids.  Our pediatric dentist uses UltraSeal XT Plus (Made by UltraDent Products. Inc.) which contains no BPA according to the company.  So if your dentist tells you it doesn’t exist, educate them or find a dentist that is up to speed on issues like BPA in dentistry.

          Feb

          5

          Cheat Sheet: BPA Free Baby Food, Baby Food Creation and Storage Tools

          Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Food Safety | 8 Comments

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            Having a 6 month old means I am in the midst of the baby food jungle.. starting to introduce cereals and purees, which he is really loving and doing so well on them. I’d love to say I carve time out of my day to make all my own baby food but realistically, we all don’t always have the time and need to rely on prepared baby foods.  I set out to find as many safely packaged baby food as I could and interestingly enough – most of the baby food packaged in BPA Free packaging was organic.  Yay! Many of these brands you can find at your local health food stores or Whole Foods.  Some you can find at the grocery store (Like Sprout Organics and Plum Organics). I’ve had some luck finding brands at Babies R Us as well. So here is a cheat sheet for those of you who need a little extra help finding something right for you.  I have not included baby food packaged in glass  jars due to the fact that jar lids have a BPA containing epoxy. To the makers of Earth’s Best – Get with it already!

            Last Updated: February 10, 2010

            Baby Food Packaged in BPA Free packaging

            BPA Free Baby Food Preparation Tools

            BPA Free Baby Food Storage Options & Ideas

            Make Your Own Baby Food Resources

            *Please note this is not a comprehensive list… if there is a brand or item you don’t see here please share it with us!

            Dec

            10

            Teething Bling: Safe for baby, stylish for mommy!

            Filed Under Product Reviews, Product Safety | 9 Comments

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              BabyBling0044When I have a new baby around, like many, I tend to focus more on the baby than on myself and my appearance is well… lacking in polish.  I run out the door to drop one kid off at preschool while I rush off to the grocery store to get shopping done before I have to pick him up again, then rush home to shower, squeeze in some work while the baby naps (if you call 20 minutes a nap… sheesh) and then supervise the kids until dinner time relief.  Did you see any time in that schedule for primping?  Yeah, me either.  I’m lucky if I slap on some mascara and lip balm.  During this time of m life I rely on smoke and mirrors to appear I have my ish together so I’m always on the lookout for things that can add to my personal style without requiring time.

              I heard of Teething Bling a while ago, before I was even pregnant with my second son, and I knew I wanted to get one.  They look like a super stylish piece of jewelry… and well , they are.  The disc on their fabulous pendants are about 2 inches wide so they make a proper statement.  But the beauty of it is that they’re made of food-safe, phthalate-free, federally-approved silicone so they double as a safe teether for baby.

              I wasn’t sure how effective they’d be but for he price I knew I’d give it a try.  I am so glad I bought one because baby loves it, he always has something to chew on and I am never without something to give him.  He’s yet to get his first tooth so he’s constantly jamming everything in his mouth.  I’ve gotten several compliments on my bling and a few moms have said “what a great idea!”.  And it is!

              Ive taken to wearing it everyday to boost my appearance, while having a handy teether around.  No digging in the diaper bag, no searching the house for something, its just there ready for baby.  I bought a round donut pendant in a pretty turqoise (called Jade), but I have my eye on the Mother of Pearl too.  They come on a black cord with a breakaway safety clasp.  I know what will be in my stocking this year… Teething Bling!

              Get It: I bought my bling at my favorite spot The Soft Landing!

              Nov

              19

              Review: Sprout Organic Baby Food

              Filed Under Food Safety, Product Reviews | 1 Comment

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                sproutNow that the days of baby food are here in my house once again, I’ve been on the hunt for all of the “homemade” types of baby food. Now, I’ll confess my snobbery here, for giving my baby only homemade of my own, but I’ll also confess that the second child really does get the shaft. And while I have made a good majority of her food so far, I’ve both been lacking in variety and time, usually leaving me scrambling for something for her for dinner, since she’s not really ready for a béchamel sauce or our standard variety mac and cheese, often prepared with unpasteurized cheeses.  There are also occasions where we are out and sometimes jarred variety baby food is easier.

                I had heard of Sprout before, but didn’t really have any real need at the time, or any place to purchase it. Sprout is all organic, and is featured in a handy resealable pouch. The best part of this is that the packaging is completely BPA free.

                They recently opened up a Wegmans in my area, the holy grail of grocery stores, and I was happy to see it on my shelves. I picked a few up for my baby girl to give a whirl.

                Her absolute favorite, is the mix of apple, carrot and mango. She took one bite and promptly ripped the spoon from my hand. She wasn’t a big fan of peach rice pudding (it’s more her dislike for tart things) or pasta with lentil bologonese. Everything else she was OK with. Everything seemed fresh and not lacking taste, which I loved.

                Overall, I’ll definitely be purchasing this brand to keep on hand for emergencies and travel.

                Just a back story, Sprout was co-founded by Chef Tyler Florence, who you can catch on Food Network, if you’re not familiar with him. I love it when renowned chefs create appetizing foods for baby. I mean, why do babies have to eat plain food?

                I will say that it’s a bit more expensive than even the bigger organic brands out there, but for me, I don’t plan on feeding it to her exclusively, so I can justify the cost of buying it for outings and the nights where I just don’t have anything on hand.

                Get it: You can get Sprout Baby food at most Whole Foods stores, as well as online.

                Jul

                21

                Review: Kinderville storage and dishware

                Filed Under Product Reviews | 3 Comments

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                  Picture 6 We see tons of dishware here at SafeMama, and I get to the point where one dish is like any other dish and rarely am I impressed with a product.  I mean, it’s dishware,  right?  You eat off of them, you drink out of them, end of story.   As long as it’s free of toxic chemicals…..

                  Wrong.

                  Someone tipped me off to Kinderville’s dishware and I am in love.  Kinderville is right on the money with their all silicone products.   Everything is 100% silicone.   There’s no lead, BPA or phthalates.   Silicone is highly durable as well as resistant to bacteria due to its non porous nature.   You can microwave it, boil it, and it’s dishwasher safe (although, I don’t recommend this, only because for some reason,  anything silicone that I put in the dishwasher, takes on the taste of my detergent for some reason).

                  Kinderville makes three different products, dishes, cups and food storage jars (pictured above).   The food storage jars are awesome because they are all silicone, so the lid forms a seal with the container when you put it on.  There’s no snapping it in, or fumbling.  To take it off, you simply pinch the handle on top and it’s open.   These are great for little snacks on the go, or to put in a lunch box.     The dishes are great for toddlers and babies just starting out.  They’re shallow enough for them to scoop food out of, but high enough that you could use it for things like cereal for kids a little bit older, yet still too young to not spill a deeper plastic bowl.   It’s also thick enough at the base and heavy, making it a little hard to tip over.   From a mom with a toddler, it’s little things like this.  Someone gets it.  The cups are also great for kids just starting out with a “big kid cup” for the same reasons above.  Not too deep, but not too shallow.  The cups are thick making it a little harder to tip over.  They’re also nice and thick for small hands.   Their flexible nature also makes them fun for kids to drink out of.   My husband gave my son the bright idea of making his cup “talk”, so now all we hear is a talking cup.  At least he’s not dumping it on the floor, I suppose.

                  Get it: You can pick up Kinderville’s products directly online.  They are a little bit more expensive, but they will last you forever, through multiple kids, thereby saving you money and creating less waste.   And when you’re done with them, you can pass them on to someone else.

                  Jul

                  17

                  How Eden started using BPA free cans

                  Filed Under Articles | 2 Comments

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                    I saw this article floating around on Twitter and I thought it was interesting.   Eden Foods, is currently the only company that uses BPA free cans for their beans.  Because of this, we exclusively use only Eden’s beans in this house (and we go through a lot of them, making this an expensive, but well worth it purchase).   The story behind how they started using BPA free cans is a pretty interesting one, and goes back farther than the last two years.  From The Huffington Post:

                    “It’s regrettable that the use of BPA has gone on so long,” Potter told me. “I’ve been flabbergasted as I’ve observed the lack of will on the part of the rest of the food industry to take advantage of an option we created.”

                    He asked his can suppliers — three of them at the time — if bisphenol A was in the cans they were selling to Eden Foods. “I made hundreds of phone calls to these three manufacturers,” he said. “Remarkably, I couldn’t find out if it was in the cans I was using or not.”

                    Read the full story at The Huffington Post.  I find it interesting that BPA free cans have been available for years, yet there is not one other company who utilizes this option.  I get that the cans are more expensive and most companies don’t want to have to pay to use BPA free cans, which while, I know they would be quick to pass the cost onto the consumer, probably don’t realize that a lot of us would pay the extra to have the peace of mind.

                    We’ve come so far in the last two years with our options for BPA free bottles, and dishware for both adults and children alike.  I can’t walk into Babies R Us today and find a single polycarbonate bottle these days.  Something that a year ago, I couldn’t say was the case, and it makes me happy to know that it’s one small step in eliminating BPA.   Let’s hope that cans and jars are next.

                    Mar

                    5

                    SafeMama Had A Dream

                    Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Product Safety | Comments Off

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                      I was browsing through a Babies R Us catalog that came in with the mail this morning over breakfast.  I turned to a page advertising baby bottles and splashed big across the top of the page it said BPA FREE!  I had a little moment and I wanted to share it here.

                      A little over a year ago when I started this site, I remember feeling so many things about the information I had discovered.  I was pissed off! I was angry and I also had some guilt because I had unknowingly used products with my son that I later found to have long term effects on him.  It saddened me a great deal that I had found out “too late” and that all the time I thought I was doing all the right things, I was doing all the things I wouldn’t have done if I knew what I know now.

                      My goal, when I opened up SafeMama.com was to hopefully help another parent avoid those feelings. I wanted to give them the knowledge I didn’t have.  I imagined how great it would be if one day all parents could go to the store and buy a product and without knowing what phthalates or BPA were, and still walk out with something safer in their cart.  To walk the bottle aisle and have every single baby bottle and cup be BPA Free.  And here we are a year later and that is slowly becoming a reality.  This makes me so happy and proud of all of us.

                      Granted, we’re not there yet.   There is still work to do.  And it frustrates me that stores and big companies still produce products with potentially harmfully chemicals in them.  It also makes me grind my teeth that stores do the things they do because of sales more so than their conscience.  But, I feel as though as parents we are all a little smarter, a little more savvy and that now, we have become a real force of nature regarding products our children use.  We have influence.

                      Perhaps we all have a mini degree in chemistry now and carry pocket guides detailing chemicals to avoid in our wallets, but we’re taking better control over what we want.  They listened.  We have really changed the world in just one year and I credit that to all the parents who called these companies along with us to demand answers.  To demand safer products.  And we’re slowly getting them.   A year ago people didn’t know what BPA was and now they have signs in every store bragging “BPA FREE!!!”.  I think we should not ever underestimate the power of a parent again.  So thank you to everyone who even in some small way contributed to this growth.  For reading this site and all the other sites like it, and for helping us make this progress.

                      Its happening in baby steps, but its happening. My next mini-dream is to walk the formula aisle and see “BPA FREE” on the packaging of every single baby formula brand.  Let’s make that happen too.

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