BPA free for everyone! That is what the FDA is saying with its latest ban on Bisphenol-A (BPA) in all baby bottles and sippy cups. The decision to ax the plastic chemical in our babies’ drinking cups came down yesterday even though manufacturers of these products have already cut BPA out of their manufacturing process. According to The Huffington Post, the FDA’s decision is a response to a request from the American Chemistry Council. The council argued that the official ban would help increase consumer confidence and help settle any confusion over products.
Beaba's BPA Free Babypote
BPA has been the subject of controversy over the last several years in the scientific field. The FDA originally said BPA was safe back in 2008 but then started expressing some concerns two years later in 2010. The NY Times writes, “Reports of potentially negative health effects have made BPA notorious, especially among parents, and led to widespread shunning of products thought to contain the chemical. Canada, Chicago and Suffolk County, N.Y., have banned BPA from children’s products.” Does this make the FDA’s decision a little late? The Times continues to site the FDA saying it had “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children.” Yikes! We don’t want any of that going on with our precious kiddos!
This week’s decision does not mean the health risk is eliminated for all. The ban does not include containers used for baby formula and many canned food items are sealed with a product that has BPA in it. Often, if a container is made with BPA it will have the #7 inside the recycling symbol on the bottom of the container. Many argue that babies are not the only ones who should be protected from BPA. Again, the NY Times reports, “The chemical can leach into food, and a study of over 2,000 people found that more than 90 percent of them had BPA in their urine. Traces have also been found in breast milk, the blood of pregnant women and umbilical cord blood.”
GreenCupboards understands the concern for products containing BPA because…well, we have those same concerns. For this reason, we have dedicated one of our Eco-Traits specifically to BPA Free products. When cruising through our site you’ll find that you can separate our product offering by how you live. So, if you want to eliminate BPA from all of the containers and baby products in your house, just check the BPA Free box and you’re good to go!
