Mar

9

Batter Blaster Organic Pancake Batter: BPA in Packaging?

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Food Safety | 8 Comments

My husband came home from a grocery shopping trip not long ago and he had a look of total excitement and triumph on his face.  “Look what I found!” he said as he handed me a whipped cream can looking item.  It was the new Batter Blaster that I keep hearing about. At first glance I thought “What a cool idea!” and truthfully, it is a pretty cool concept. Organic batter in a can? Yes please!  But of course, the SafeMama in me wasn’t totally convinced that the can that held this precious certified organic product was BPA free.  So I set out to find the answer.

I checked their website first and while their product information tells us the can is totally recyclable (although I’m told you have to check with your local recycling center to see whether you can actually recycle it on your area) but there was no mention of BPA.  This always is a red flag for me.  Typically, companies who offer organic food or safer products have a BPA free logo or address it in their FAQ’s because who wouldn’t want to leverage that angle? Its marketing…. if its BPA Free (by accident or otherwise) you want people to know.  Since it was missing from an easy access place like their company website I had a feeling I wasnt going to be pleasantly surprised.

However, I did speak to a company representative and my question “Does the can contain BPA?” was answered.  The answer? Yes, and No.

According to Batter Blaster, the cans they were using did contain BPA in the epoxy lining of the metal interior.  No surprise there. Of course they assured me it was within FDA regulation limits and was well below the allowable BPA content.  You know that isn’t good enough for SafeMama.  BPA Free or I don’t buy it.  BUT, Batter Blaster recently changed their cans to a BPA Free one.  So all the new Batter Blaster’s coming into stores are in the new BPA Free steel cans.  Hooray!  But hold on a minute…

My next question was “Ok so are there still cans in stores right now in the old BPA containing packaging?“  The answer that I concluded from our conversation was Yes.  Batter Blaster rolled out their new BPA Free packaging but they are still selling the older style cans (I can assume until they run out of it).  I asked how I would be able to tell the difference and Batter Blaster told me that the older cans look like the ones featured on their website (See the homepage).

  • The old package/can  has a “lip” or a “rim” near the top (See inset).  The newer packaging does not and appears more streamlined.
  • Batter Blaster told me that the cans only have a shelf life of a few months so anything marked with an expiration date of April 2010 or later would be in the new BPA Free  packaging.

So I pulled out the can my husband brought home and flipped it over.  April 2010.  But it was in an old style can with the rim she described.  So perhaps a better gauge will be the new style of packaging (which I cannot find a photo of but will post if I see one).

Right now the Batter Blasters in my local store all have the BPA style packaging so I can only assume that these have not been sold out enough to warrant ordering in the new packaged cans yet, despite the April 2010 expiration dates.  So I may wait a while before I purchase it again.

Update: Here is a photo of what the new BPA Free packaging looks like:

Thanks Schmedley for pointing me to it.

Feb

11

Cheat Sheet: Natural Toothpaste & BPA Free Toothbrushes For Kids

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

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: February 16, 2010

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: N/A
  • Natural Dentist (Fluoride and Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep: 4 – They only have a rating for the kids toothpaste with Fluoride

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:

Jan

19

FDA Anounces Warning About BPA

Filed Under Bisphenol-A | 1 Comment

The FDA is finally catching up with the rest of us.  The FDA issued a warning to parents to limit the exposure of BPA in infants and children citing “some concern” about BPA’s effects.  I see a lot of mixed signals with the FDA’s recent statement and it’s mostly due to the fact that BPA is found in so many products aside from baby products (canned food, soda, foil seals, jar lids) that they don’t want to make grand statements.  They’re back-pedaling (2 years ago they announced BPA was perfectly safe)  and planting a seed of doubt in parents minds while they conduct further investigations. (Can you tell I’m annoyed?)

This CNN article says it in a nutshell better than I can:

The new position is a partial reversal of the FDA’s declaration in 2008 that BPA has no adverse effects. That announcement came under fire from environmental groups that said it relied too heavily on industry-funded research.

Since then, the agency says on its Web site, “recent studies have reported subtle effects of low doses of BPA in laboratory animals. While BPA is not proven to harm children or adults, these newer studies have led federal health officials to express some concern about the safety of BPA.”

The new position brings the FDA into line with guidance from the National Toxicology Program, which in its own 2008 report said there is “some concern” for BPA’s effects on the brain, behavior and prostate gland, in developing fetuses, infants and children. Other studies have found a possible link to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but the authors of those studies say it’s not clear the problems were actually caused by BPA.

Nov

23

BPA Free Thanksgiving?

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Food Safety | 9 Comments

pieSince all this started I’ve been trying desperately to come up with alternatives to the old family favorites that require a can of this or that.  So here’s a few solutions I’ve come up with that replace those cans that plague our meals with BPA.  No one wants hormone disruption with their dinner do they? (Yes I’m being cheeky.)

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Many recipes during the holidays require cream of mushroom soup.  Finding it not in a can has proven to be next to impossible. Thanks to the magic of Twitter I’ve heard of a few solutions.

Use Cream of Celery Soup: Swap this in its place… can be found in box form in the natural foods aisle of many grocery stores.

Make it yourself: A little more time consuming but you could do a large batch and freeze 10 oz. portions for use later.

Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

1 lb. fresh mushrooms
2 c. onions
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. flour
1 c. cold water
15 oz chicken soup
1 c. all purpose cream
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp. butter

Grate mushrooms and onions. Melt butter and saute onions and sugar until brown. Add mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Add cold water and stir until blended. Add can of soup and simmer for 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in cream.

Or: Make a roux with butter and flour. Add milk and veggie broth to desired thickness then add sauteed mushrooms.

Pumpkin Pie

What’s Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie?? But what about those pesky convenient cans of perfectly spiced pumpkin? I’ll be the first to admit that going the DIY route sounds unappealing with as much preparation Thanksgiving dinner requires.  But if you’re ambitious then here’s a DIY idea for you I found on the Mother Nature Network:

Do It Yourself:  Buy a little, tender, organic sugar pumpkin at the farmers market, cut it in eighths, scrape out seeds, and steam or boil it. Cool, remove skin, and blend until smooth like a puree. Should result in roughly 15 oz. or so you’ll need to fill a deep dish pie recipe.

Edit to Add: A reader commented about this method and since she’s done it before she had some better tips on cooking pumpkin:

They are still very watery squash and will make a bland, soggy pie if used in the way you describe. Instead, what you should do is cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds, roast it face down on a cookie sheet (about 1 hour at 375 should do it) and then once it’s cool peel the skin off. Now you still need to get rid of the excess water. Wrap the pumpkin flesh in cheesecloth and squeeze the heck out of it repeatedly until it is about 1/4 the original volume. Finally, puree the condensed flesh until smooth. Because so much of the pumpkin is water I would actually recommend using 2 sugar pumpkins to get the 15oz usually called for in pumpkin pie recipes.

As the article says, many pie recipes call for a can of condensed milk, which you can substitute heavy cream (or soy milk for vegans).  Great tip!  The article also has a great egg-free, soy recipe.

Make Sweet Potato Pie Instead: I’ll admit I didn’t grow up eating sweet potato pie. But it is a great alternative to pumpkin and doesn’t require the can of pumpkin to make. You can cut up and steam sweet potatoes and blend until smooth to get the puree you need.  No can required. It’s just as festive and delicious as a pumpkin pie.  Here’s a delectable recipe from Alton Brown (I love him!) on the Food Network:

Sweet Potato Pie

  • 1 pound 3 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
  • 3/4 cup packed, dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
  • 5 egg yolks
  • Salt
  • 1 (9-inch) deep dish, frozen pie shell
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions: Put cubed potatoes into steamer basket and place steamer basket into a large pot of simmering water that is no closer than 2 inches from the bottom of basket. Allow to steam for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Mash with potato masher and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place sweet potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment. Add yogurt, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, yolks, and salt, to taste, and beat until well combined. Pour this batter into the pie shell and place onto a sheet pan. Sprinkle pecans on top and drizzle with maple syrup. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the custard reaches 165 to 180 degrees. Remove from oven and cool. Keep refrigerated after cooling.

Green Bean Casserole

Ok… I didn’t grow up with this dish at my family table.  I never even heard of it until I moved to Philadelphia.  I also think it’s a vile vile food.  But my husband and family love it and think of it as a staple on Thanksgiving day. Problem is it requires not only a can of cream of mushroom soup (se above for alternatives) but it alse requires canned green beans.  Solution?  Buy bags of frozen, cut green beans instead.

Cranberry Sauce

You are either one of two kinds of people.  You’re the homemade cranberry kind of people, like me.  Or you’re the gelatinous can of cranberry kind who is ok with a round disc of cranberry on your plate.  Which is who I was until I tasted my grandmothers homemade cranberry sauce and I converted.  Some people can’t have Turkey day without their green bean casserole and can of cranberry.  But if you are the adventurous type and want to eliminate the need for the can of BPA cranberry here is the recipe I use every year.  Trust me its easy and delicious:

Nana SafeMama’s Cranberry Sauce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup orange juice (and zest)
  • 1 package of cranberries  (looked over and washed)

Directions: In a large saucepan, mix water, orange juice & sugar.  Stir until dissolved over medium heat.  Dump in cranberries and zest an orange into the pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and then boil gently, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl.  Let cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate.  Best made the day before (says Grandma… and its actually true, plus its one less thing to do on Turkey Day).

Need some original recipe ideas? Check out my friend at the Craving Chronicles who has some beautiful cranberry and pumpkin treats listed for Thanksgiving.  You can apply the ideas here to any of her recipes.  I really want those Orange Cranberry Rosemary  muffins!

Have any BPA free holiday tips of your own? Share them in the comments!

Nov

5

Consumer Reports Tests Find BPA in Canned Soups, Juice, and More

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Food Safety | 3 Comments

Here we go … BPA in the news again.  I have been wanting to post something about this since I saw it on the evening news the other night.  Consumer Reports just published new findings (but none of it is really news to us) about levels of BPA in canned food.  We knew it was there but how much?  As we know, BPA is not only found in hard plastic but as a component of the epoxy lining in canned food, soda cans, juice cans, baby formula and glass jar lids to name a few.   From the new study:

Canned Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans Blue Lake had the highest amount of BPA for a single sample in Consumer Reports tests, with levels ranging from 35.9 parts per billion (ppb) to 191 ppb. Progresso Vegetable Soup BPA levels ranged from 67 to 134 ppb. Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup had BPA levels ranging from 54.5 to 102 ppb.

Average amounts in tested products varied widely. In most items tested, such as canned corn, chili, tomato sauce, and corned beef, BPA levels ranged from trace amounts to about 32 ppb.

Given the significance of BPA exposure for infants and young children, Consumer Reports tested samples of Similac Advance Infant Formula and Nestle Juicy Juice All Natural 100% Apple Juice. The findings revealed:

Similac liquid concentrate in a can averaged 9 ppb of BPA, but there was no measurable level in the powdered version.

Nestle Juicy Juice in a can averaged 9.7 ppb of BPA, but there were no measurable levels in the samples of the same product packaged in juice boxes.

I was surprised to hear that Similac’s powdered formula came back with no measurable levels of BPA, though it’s unclear to me at this point what type of packaging the powdered version was in.  Similac has a new plastic container made of polypropylene but there is a questionable foil seal on the inside that Similac would not comment on whether it had BPA or not (I’m guessing yes or else they would probably have said so).

What’s most alarming is that products boasting BPA Free on the label tested with measurable amounts of BPA.  Alarming, but not so surprising. Even items in alternative packaging came back with BPA levels.  Even Eden’s baked beans, which we though were BPA Free came back with a very low level of BPA.

We tested two products that their manufacturers claimed were packaged in BPA-free cans and found the chemical in both of the foods. Although tests of the inside of the cans found that the liners were not epoxy-based, Vital Choice’s tuna in “BPA-free” cans was found to contain an average of 20 ppb of BPA and Eden Baked Beans averaged 1 ppb.

It’s unclear at this point what levels are safe and what aren’t (though my preference would be for NO safe levels):

“The findings are noteworthy because they indicate the extent of potential exposure,” said Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Director of Technical Policy, at Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “Children eating multiple servings per day of canned foods with BPA levels comparable to the ones we found in some tested products could get a dose of BPA near levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies. The lack of any safety margin between the levels that cause harm in animals and those that people could potentially ingest from canned foods has been inadequately addressed by the FDA to date.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is soon expected to announce the findings of its most recent reassessment of the safety of BPA.

Read all about it: Consumer Reports Study (use the links on the left side to read the details of the study and the results.

Aug

28

Your SIGG Bottle May Contain BPA

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Product Safety | Comments Off

siggIt’s come to light that some older models of SIGG reusable aluminum water bottles contain BPA in the epoxy lining inside the bottle.  As you may already know, the lining on the interior of SIGG’s has been questioned for some time and many skeptics thought that the epoxy may contain BPA… turns out they were right.  The SIGG company “took to heart” the controversy over BPA and went to work on a new lining that was BPA free.  However there were many SIGG bottles on the market since they developed their new lining, called EcoCare. 

Any SIGG Bottle on the market prior to August 2008 has the old epoxy lining, and should BPA be a concern to you then you should replace it with an alternative or a new SIGG with their new EcoCare lining. This inclides the kiddies!   SIGG still maintains that their older models are still “safe” but they spent a lot of money on changing it.  I’d advise anyone with an older SIGG to check it against their website and contact them about a replacement.  They aren’t doing a voluntary recall but we saw a letter from the company on The Consumerist stating they would be handling replacements.

Needless to say, we’re disappointed after having supported them in the past that they weren’t forthcoming in the beginning about their materials.  We recommend you try some other alternatives to SIGG reusable bottles as there are many great ones on the market.  We adore the ThinkSport, Thermos Intak and the Klean Kanteen but there are a ton to choose from.  Check out The Soft Landing for a huge selection of reusable water bottles.

Jun

25

Bisphenol-A: How Much Evidence Do We Need?

Filed Under Articles, Bisphenol-A, Chemicals | Comments Off

soda-canI was going to let this slide but I’ve heard the same few phrases a few times and now I’m thoroughly annoyed.  These phrases include things like “activist hysteria” and “BPA has been around for 60 years, don’t you think the FDA would have taken notice if it was harmful?” and “activists in the blogosphere are creating unnecessary concern” and my favorite “There is no evidence that BPA in consumer products ever harmed a child or adult.”

Oh, really? That’s twice today I’ve read articles stating that there is no scientific evidence that BPA can harm anyone and that “activists” are just creating unnecessary hype.  Let’s review some of this non-existent scientific evidence shall we?

And the list goes on and on…  If that’s not enough scientific evidence that Bisphenol-A needs to be re-evaluated for safety than I don’t know what people like Ms. Whelan from Forbes Magazine or Dr Gilbert Ross of the American Council on Science and Health who seems to think there “isn’t a shred of scientific or medical sense in the proposed ban of bisphenol-A“  needs to hear in order to consider that perhaps just because something has been in use for 60 years doesn’t mean that there aren’t underlying effects that people are experiencing in their normal lives that may have been caused or enhanced by over-exposure to chemicals in our daily lives. Could they be right?  Maybe!  And I hope they are… I wish I could be that confident that chemical makers and the FDA had my best interest at heart.  I wish I could just blindly trust the way they do.  I’d probably sleep better at night if I could just leave my health and safety up to other people rather than opening my eyes to what’s going on around me.

It’s hard to tell why John Smith developed Diabetes at the age of 60.  Could it be BPA? Maybe, maybe not.  But as a consumer and a parent and a human being… I don’t want risks from chemicals to up my chances of developing health problems later in life.  Nor do I want to expose my kids to something that *might* create reproductive problems for them in the future. MAYBE is not good enough for me.

Those of us who write about and talk about pushing for this change are not trying to be alarmist, or to just have something to be hysterical about.  We’ve read the studies, we’ve looked at the research and we’ve wondered “what if”.  We also have recognized that living without overexposure to BPA in our lives is 100% possible.  Does that mean less money for companies who rely on BPA? Sure.  Do I care? No.

Living with blind faith that “regulators” are protecting me and everything I touch is safe for my health and my family is just not something I will ever do.

Jun

17

Summer Series! Safer Ice Pop Molds

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Food Safety, product finds | 4 Comments

rocketpopEveryone loves ice pops.  If you don’t, you’re weird or have sensitive teeth.  I’ve had this article in my head for almost a year and never got around to posting it until now.  I have actually started writing it about 13 times but was holding out to find one product and could never find what I was looking for.  Ice Pop molds are an awesome way to do something fun with the kids and not to mention a good way to sneak yogurt or pureed/juiced veggies into their diet without them knowing.  I’m known to sneak spinach into smoothies so why not freeze them?

But what ice pop molds are BPA Free (and PVC, Phthalate, lead free etc)?  Good question.  I went hunting for some kind of awesome stainless steel set but came up totally empty handed.  So I found a couple that pass the test as far as plastic goes.  Here are my top picks:

icepopKinderville Ice Pop Molds: Kinderville is one of our favorite companies.  They carry a bevy of great products including squeeze up ice pop molds.  All their items are made with BPA, Phthalate, PVC, and everything free Silicone that is a non-leaching material so it’s safe for use in the dishwasher, microwave and the freezer.  They’re cute too!  Check out Kinderville’s ice pop molds and other food storage items on Kinderville’s website.

Tovolo Ice Pop Molds: Tovolo has several different styles to pick from, star shaped ice pops, bars, etc and they’re all made of Polypropylene plastic (BPA Free #5 plastic) according to the company.  What I like about these is that you can do some creative ice pop making with the cool shapes.  They also carry silicone ice cream sandwich molds which look like a lot of fun too.  And check out these Jewel Pop Molds!  How cute!  What little girl wouldn’t love a jewel popsicle ring?

orkaOrka Ice Pops:  Orka makes silicone molds in a neat twisty shape and have silicone tabs for easy removal.  I can’t tell you how many times I was standing there using a butter knife trying to pry an ice pop out of its mold.  Makes for a mangled ice pop and is not the safest way to remove them.  Silicone with its flexible nature makes for removing super easy.  They come in white and brown,  which, not that it matters what color they are but the brown reminds me of ice cream so these would be great for yogurt based ice pops.   I love the twisted portion too.

Lekue Silicone Ice Molds: For those who prefer “push-up” style ice pop consumption there’s an alternative for you too.  These silicone molds are made in a slim cone shape, which makes for easy filling and probably a little less mess for eating.  You can push the ice pop up from the bottom like those old freezer ice things we ate as kids… only this way you can make your own and skip all the food coloring.

SiliconeZone Popsicle Molds:  These haven’t been available on Amazon for a while but they are neat tier shaped molds made of silicone that look neat (and big!).  SiliconeZone makes a ton of freezer molds if you’re into funny shaped ice cubes too.  I can’t seem to find the popsicle molds for sale online but if you run over them in a kitchen store they look like a good pick.  Plus I’m partial to the molds made of silicone… for one silicone is a great alternative if you’re going to use plastic and two, easy removal is key.  No one wants a repeat of my butterknife incident.

There are several others I’ve found but either I couldn’t determine the materials or the company never got back to me regarding their BPA Free status so I just listed the few I knew were safer.  I found one by Norpro which had a stainless steel top and plastic receptacles, which utilizes wooden sticks, which some might find desirable but I couldn’t verify the plastic and lets face it, we don’t need to be tossing wooden sticks into the trash every day do we? So I skipped it.  My dream ice pop maker, which I’ve searched for endlessly for a year, would be a stainless steel style one that had that pop out mechanism (like those old fashioned ice cube trays.  Stainless steel ice cube trays exist but no ice pop molds (yet…says coming soon). I thought for sure Williams Sonoma would have something like that since its kind of a cool “retro” thing but alas, I cannot find it.  If anyone does, please let me know and I’ll love you forever and ever.

Low Budget Ice Pop Tip:  Jam a popsicle stick into a yogurt container and freeze.  Healthy, quick and you can reuse the container (as long as its not polystyrene) again.  I’ve also frozen those Stonyfield yogurt tubes but those create waste so I’d opt for something reusable to save yourself some cash.

Get Your Own: You can find most of these in on Amazon (check the dishware category for the ones available), but I’d also be willing to bet you could find these at kitchen specialty stores in your area too.

SafeMama’s Banana Papaya Ice Pops
Ingredients:
2 Cups Papaya Nectar (or juice)
2 large ripe bananas
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Instructions:
In a blender, mix until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze. Voila.

Jun

9

Coke and Del Monte Plot to Deceive Consumers about BPA

Filed Under Bisphenol-A | Comments Off

soda-canI wrote last week about the meetings manufacturers had regarding the public view of BPA.  Since then the meeting notes we’re leaked to the Internet and many of us were fuming that companies like Coca Cola and Del Monte were discussing using scare tactics and a pregnant woman role model to change our perception of BPA (which is found in the lining of most canned goods and soda).

As consumers, we’re entitled to know truths about what our food is exposed to and since BPA has come into the spotlight we’ve seen study after study showing potentially harmful effects of exposure.  I won’t list it all out here again but we’re not naive to BPA anymore and finding out that companies would rather spend money on deceiving us than to take advantage of an opportunity to use an alternative (which is already in effect in Japan so don’t give me that “there is no other option” baloney) is a real testament to how big companies view its consumers: As a bunch of people who are too stupid to know better.  Well … we’re not. And we want to tell you so.

The Environmental Working Group has launched a new effort to help those who want to express their disgust to companies entertaining the idea of deceiving consumers about BPA.  Visit the EWG for phone numbers to Coke and Del Monte so you can tell them yourself.

Coca-Cola: 1-800-GET-COKE, then press 2
Del Monte: 1-800-543-3090

You can express your disgust about their unethical ideas to deceive consumers any way you like really, but the EWG has a sample script in case you’re not sure how to approach it.

“”Hello, My name is ______________. I’m shocked and disappointed in your unethical approach to business when it comes to BPA – placing profits ahead of my family’s health and using fear tactics to placate consumers about a clearly dangerous chemical. The BPA needs to go – NOW. Thank you.”

Visit the EWG website and tell them about your calls… they want to know how Coca Cola and Del Monte are reacting to consumer feedback regarding this matter.

If you’re not planning on participating, remember the impact we had on BPA in baby products.  Everywhere you go baby items say BPA Free now and it wasn’t like that just a year ago.  We as consumers and parents have made a difference.. with every phone call, letter or blog entry.  We are more powerful than you think.

May

31

Manufacturers Who Use BPA are Getting Scared

Filed Under Articles, Bisphenol-A | 4 Comments

soda-canThere’s been a bevy of articles floating around this week about meetings being held by manufacturers of cans and soda products.  They’re concerned because of the public concerns regarding Bisphenol-A (BPA).  Including the makers of Coca-Cola and Campbell.  If you aren’t already aware, soda cans as well as the majority of canned food is lined with BPA – a hormone disrupting chemical that has a bevy of independent university studies showing harmful effects.

The movement by young mothers (their bread and butter buyers) to avoid BPA is causing them some grief, and well deserved.  We all educated ourselves on the effects and are choosing to buy safer alternatives.  Because we’re smart people.   Manufacturers are going over options to change our view of BPA and to back up it’s safety.  They are considering doing one or more of the following tactics to change our view of BPA:

  • Use scare tactics: They’ll use slogans like “Do you want access to baby food anymore?” as if we won’t be able to feed our children without exposing them to BPA.
  • Giving consumers a false sense of control: They will highlight cost effects of choosing BPA Free products.
  • Using a spokesperson:  Their “holy grail” spokesperson would be a pregnant woman they said.  Apparently showing us a pretty pregnant woman enjoying BPA exposed food with a smile will make us all forget the studies done by respected universities showing BPA exposure is linked to metabolic disorders, brain function, heart disease, genital abnormalities, mood disorders, diabetes….. etc etc etc.  Their plan would be to have her go around the country speaking about the benefits of BPA.  (Which are?)

So essentially, they want to scare you into buying products containing BPA because they don’t want to lose money.  They don’t want to bother investigating safer alternatives.  They just want things to go back to the way they were… when we all had no idea BPA existed.  Too bad we’re not so naive to be convinced by fear and a pregnant woman.  This “young mother” isn’t going to fall for it.

Here’s the full article about the meetings held by manufacturers in the Washington Post:

Kathleen M. Roberts, a lobbyist with Bergeson and Campbell for the North American Metal Packaging Alliance, which represents makers of metal cans and their customers, organized Thursday’s meeting and confirmed the accuracy of the notes. She said her members are concerned about bills pending in state legislatures as well as on Capitol Hill that would restrict or eliminate the use of BPA in metal cans. She said BPA is a safe compound that has been tarred by activist groups and that consumers do not fully appreciate its importance.

Oh we appreciate… we appreciate the importance of protecting the health of our families from the dangers of overused chemicals.  We also appreciate that it’s not just activists tarring our view of BPA, it’s the respected studies by top universities and organizations that are opening our eyes to what’s around us.

Source: Washington Post

From Our Fellow Moms

Seems this news has angered more than just us here at SafeMama and our colleagues have some really excellent points:

Sommer from Green and Clean Mom:  Talk to the Hand

“What they heck do these mom bloggers know anyhow? On one hand a company wants to use them for PR and marketing and their qualified and valued and on the other hand they’re just hysterical and not trusted.”

Jennifer Taggart of The Smart Mama: Ready to piss off a mom blogger? Seek a pregnant woman to consume BPA lined canned goods

How stupid do these industry representatives think we are? They think that if they pick the right “messaging” (which the industry will discover through at $500,000 survey of consumer perceptions and messaging), we will ignore the growing body of evidence of adverse health effects associated with BPA exposure? That we can’t separate the fact from the fiction?

Jenn Savedge at Mother Nature Network : Movement afoot to silence BPA concerns

“Instead of researching the alternatives (Japan has significantly reduced its use of BPA in many canned goods,) BPA advocates are hanging on to this sinking ship and spending their time and money to devise a strategy and public relations campaign that would silence these concerns about BPA. According to the article in the Washington Post, industry executives are weighing ideas that use financial fears and dated health information to dissuade people from choosing BPA-free packaging.”

Alicia of The Soft Landing: Bisphenol-a Manufacturers Switch to Fear Inducing Strategy

“Who are the fear mongers now? We were the ones “propagating unnecessary fear” just a few short years ago – that is until science bolstered our basis of concern.  Now the chemical industry is backed into a corner by the very people who supply the largest portion of their bank accounts – young mothers ages 21-35.”

Before we raised issue with BPA in baby products no one ever heard of BPA.  Now you can’t swing a dead cat in Babies R Us without sitting a product labelled BPA FREE.  We changed that, we can change this too.

Here’s more:

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