BPA / Polycarbonate Plastics

With all the talk on the news and internet about BPA and Polycarbonate plastics I've been really concerned about all the plastics in my house....water bottles, food storage containers, everything for baby stuff, etc.... I found myself wondering if this is just another one of those 'everything causes cancer' reports, and if we should 'go organic'.....but the more I looked into it the more I realized how dangerous it is!



I copied this from a website;



*Bisphenol A, or BPA, allows manufacturers to make a rigid and translucent product known as polycarbonate plastic, often _ but not always _ identified by a triangle surrounding the number 7. In canned food and beverages, especially acidic vegetables and fruits, BPA-resin liners stop the contents from eroding the metal container.



But it's also a molecule that mimics estrogen and can leach from receptacles: injection of the agent into lab rodents has been shown to cause hormonal dysfunction and tumours, and scientists believe long-term exposure in humans could lead in some cases to infertility, early puberty, and even breast and prostate cancers.



Infants and children are especially vulnerable to pollutants and toxins because their brains and bodies are still developing, with their cells dividing more quickly than those of adults.



While many manufacturers have stopped making BPA-containing plastic baby bottles and turned to safer alternatives, parents may still be using older products that can leach BPA with heating and washing, as well as from acidic liquids like juice.*



I've gone through almost every piece of plastic (used for food or beverage) in my house, and found a LOT of it to have the number 7 on it!! Yikes! Though it says it may or may not contain BPA / Polycarbonate it still COULD!



All of Renee's baby food ,toddler food, and snack containers had this number 7 on them. I sent Gerber an email asking about their products and how they're made, this was (the most important part of) their reply.....



*Regarding your question concerning number 7 plastic package of pureed baby food, Bisphenol-A is not used in making the plastic cups for Gerberpuree products.*



I then called them at 1-800-4-GERBER and asked about the Toddler food, etc.They told me that the number 7 is used to show that their products use high quality plastics, BUT that BPA / Polycarbonate is NOT used in their plastics! Thank God!



I also read that the number 7 with a 'PC' under it, means there is absolutely Polycarbonate in the plastic, so return, exchange, or toss all those plastics! Or at least use them for something other than food.The last picture is one of my storage containers (that I use for sugar, flour, brown sugar, etc.), which has the number 7 AND the PC. Bed Bath and Beyond told me they are taking back / exchanging these products....even though I've had them for 4 years!

Keep in mind not all of the plastics marked with the number 7 (circled in the triangle) contain BPA / Polycarbonate, but just make sure you educate yourself on this.