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Apr-28-2008Eastman Chemical May Gain From Plastic Bottle Ban, NYT Reports(topic overview)
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Toys "R" Us is nixing BPA-tinged products. BPA is a man-made plastic found in many household items - including reusable water bottles, baby bottles and epoxy resins lining cans of food and soft drinks - and can leak into food and drinks in those containers. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health suggested a link between BPA and higher rates of cancer, reproductive system abnormalities and nutritional and developmental problems among children who were exposed to BPA while their mothers were pregnant. It may soon be banned in Canada and is also subject to increased regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. A few suggestions from the May 2008 issue of Consumer Reports magazine on how to avoid BPA from leaching into your drinkables: Hard, transparent plastic containers marked with the recycling codes ''7'' or ''PC'' usually contain materials made with BPA. Use bottles marked with recycling codes ''1,'' ''2,'' or ''5'' instead. Those numbers stand for polyethylene, high-density polyethylene and polypropylene, all BPA-free hard plastics. [1] The issue of the effects that consuming foods and beverages packaged in polycarbonate containers made from the chemical bisphenol A has upon one's health has long been debated in the media. BPA is most often found in the composition of baby bottles and water bottles, but many other edible products are packaged in containers of this sort. The U.S. National Toxicology Program published a report that gives an alarm signal regarding the safety of BPA-laced products, reports MedHeadlines, especially taking into consideration the consequences this chemical may have on babies under the age of 18 months, when it is assumed that the human body is ready to protect itself from the toxicity of this substance.[2]
Industry groups for plastics, chemicals, juvenile products and grocery manufacturers maintain that BPA is safe, based on the body of scientific evidence and on the findings of the Food and Drug Administration. Last week the National Toxicology Program, an office of the National Institutes of Health, in a draft report expressed concern about BPA. The office does not regulate BPA, but its findings are used by the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency to set safe exposure limits for chemicals. In reaction, Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said he would file a bill to ban BPA from baby products, dental sealants and any bottle or container that holds food and drink.[3] Frederick vom Saal, a professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia and one of the key researchers of BPA, says the chemical can cause reproductive problems. Voorhies routinely calls manufacturers, asking them what ingredients went into making their baby bottles, sippy cups, dishes and eating utensils. "I keep pushing when a company sends me a letter stating the safety of BPA, according to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)," she said. "I tell them that's not what I asked for. I asked what the products have in them." Voorhies started a blog (www.thesoftlandingbaby.com) and posted her findings and news stories about BPA. Last year, with family members, she started selling glass baby bottles and non-BPA plastic ones online. She also writes guides on finding BPA-free products at other stores. She and her sisters, kids in tow, take frequent field trips to Wal-Mart, Target, Babies R Us and Whole Foods to see what types of bottles, cups and dishes they are selling.[3] Hyper vigilant Most of the public health concern has focused on children. Thom Benedict, owner of Earth Goods General Store in Salt Lake City, recently started carrying the Born Free brand of baby bottles and said those BPA-free containers are "flying out the door." He recently added BPA-free plastic food storage containers. He also sells a polycarbonate water bottle and said the manufacturer, New Enviro, has assured him it won't leach chemicals like BPA as long as it's not left in the sun.[4] To limit exposure, people are urged to use glass, stainless steel, porcelain containers or choose water bottles and baby bottles that are marked BPA free. It will be almost impossible to totally stop using items with the chemical; it'''s basically everywhere. I suppose this BPA news is just another in a long list of things out there that could potentially make us sick. Consumers will never be entirely free of such worries because there are just too many chemicals out there to avoid all of them, many of which we don'''t even know about. The sad part is that these products and foods don'''t even need these harmful chemicals.[5]
Bisphenol A is used to make polycarbonate plastic, a clear shatter-resistant material in products ranging from plastic baby bottles and water bottles to sports safety equipment and medical devices. It also is used to make durable epoxy resins used as the coating in most food and beverage cans. People can eat or drink the chemical when it leaches out of the plastic into liquid such as baby formula, water or food inside the container.[6] Canada is moving to get rid of products with a chemical common in plastic baby bottles, and the United States is expressing concern over its safety, however the risks are still disputed. Canada's Health Minister Tony Clement said he would bring in rules to outlaw plastic polycarbonate baby bottles, perhaps within the next year. These bottles are made with bisphenol A, which is also used in food and water containers. Mr Clement said bisphenol A could hinder child development and cited a study which he said showed that overexposure at an early age could cause behavioral and neurological symptoms later in life.[6]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Parents, stores and the entire country of Canada are ditching polycarbonate baby bottles and sippy cups. That's because the hard plastic that most baby bottles are made from contains the chemical bisphenol-A, which some researchers believe poses serious health risks. Parents and stores are ditching baby products that contain the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA for alternative products like this Bambu fork and spoon.[3]
St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City also uses BPA-free bottles, a spokesman said. Last week Playtex, a manufacturer of baby bottles and other infant products, announced it will make all of its products free of BPA by the end of the year. The company, along with many others, sells polycarbonate bottles containing BPA. However, its disposable drop-in baby bottle liners, made of polyethylene plastic, have never contained BPA. Dr. Brown's bottles, critically acclaimed for a venting system that helps reduce acid reflux and colic, added glass bottles to its line this year. Glass makes up only 5 percent to 10 percent of its bottle inventory.[3] BPA also is found in some pacifiers and teethers. Like a growing number of parents concerned about BPA in polycarbonate plastic, Tsevis buys glass baby bottles and stainless steel sippy cups for her children. When her eldest son was born, she couldn't find glass bottles in stores and had to order them online.[3] Utahns are making a run on stainless steel water bottles, glass baby bottles and BPA-free plastic bottles, sippy cups and pacifiers.[4] Plastics to avoid # 3 (PVC or V): Used in cling wrap, some plastic squeeze bottles, cooking oil and peanut butter jars. # 6 (PS): Used in Styrofoam food trays, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, carryout containers and opaque plastic cutlery. # 7 (other): Used in most plastic baby bottles, some water bottles, metal food can liners, clear plastic sippy cups and some clear plastic cutlery.[4] She's stored away all her baby bottles and sippy cups, as well as her own Nalgene water bottles. For good measure, she's buying glass food containers.[4]
Hudson Bay Company, for example, told us it had "secured large quantities of BPAfree baby bottles, nipples, bottle inserts and drinking cups." Canadian Tire went a step further and removed "plastic water bottles and food-storage containers that are known to contain bisphenol A" from its shelves. The next day, HBC declared it would "act immediately to remove all BPA baby product" from its Bay and Zellers stores.[7] All the results have been recorded after animal tests. The latest and most disputed occurrence related to this topic is Canada's decision to ascribe the notion "toxic" to BPA. This event will be a real trouble for many producers of baby bottles and other products that are wrapped in this material. The majority of Canada's biggest retailers has removed polycarbonate containers from stores and is currently trying to find alternatives to this material. There are producers who attempt to fight this whole campaign the Canadian government began to lead.[2]
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, announced on Thursday it plans to offer more products free of bisphenol A, and intends to stop selling baby bottles made with the chemical early next year. Whether bisphenol A poses genuine health risks in people remains a matter of debate, with industry groups defending its safety and environmental activists saying studies involving animals show otherwise.[6] Plastic ban needs more TERRI MCCORMICK The Amherst Citizen Canada has just become the first country in the world to limit exposure to the chemical bisphenol A. Only baby bottles - and not other products made with the substance that has been described as '''dangerous''' - are included in the recent import and sale ban. It'''s a start, but this ban needs to be taken further.[5] Wal-Mart has called it quits on plastic baby bottles made with BPA, or bisphenol A. Nalgene Outdoor Products said it would stop using the chemical in its popular clear plastic bottles.[1]
Alicia Voorhies of Olathe, Kan., remembers feeling shocked two years ago when her sister in South Carolina called to say her son's pediatrician told her she needed to switch baby bottles. That was the first time Voorhies heard the term BPA. The former nurse and mother of three young children began researching plastics online. The more studies she read, the more concerned she grew about BPA and phthalates, another controversial chemical compound used in plastics.[3] April 25 (Bloomberg) -- Eastman Chemical Co., the biggest U.S. maker of plastic for water bottles, may gain from Canada's ban on plastic baby bottles made with a certain chemical as manufacturers seek alternatives, the New York Times reported.[8] Then Canada announced it would ban the import and sale of polycarbonate baby bottles. Then Wal-Mart and Toys 'R' Us announced they would phase out baby bottles made with BPA. And Nalgene said it would do the same with its water bottles.[4]
Canada banned BPA, as the chemical is commonly known, from baby bottles and drinking cups, based on a review of worldwide studies.[3]
There is no way we can be sure. It seems that no New Zealand studies have looked into the exposure levels of babies and infants here, and there do not seem to be any plans or funding to do any such work in the future. "Potentially, babies could be exposed through the baby bottle they drink from, from the lining of the can that their formula powder is supplied in and from the lining of any tinned baby food. Without any research into this area we cannot know just what levels they are being exposed to. "I cannot see why our authorities seem unwilling to invest in this research and are happy to continue to take this risk with our babies.[9] Food Standards Australia New Zealand seems to have ignored any studies that raise concerns and its stance on Bisphenol A is that is 'does not cause cancer', even though there is no scientific proof of that. On the contrary there are a number of scientific studies showing that Bisphenol A mimics the effects of oestrogen and in this way could increase the risk of breast cancer, especially in those exposed to it at a very young age. A FSANZ fact sheet issued this month cites a literature review by the European Food Safety Authority which found that exposure levels for babies are within safe limits.[9]
More study needed Nevertheless, Utah environmental toxicologist Rod Larson said it is wise to be prudent. He said women at risk of breast cancer should avoid food containers made with BPA because it is "essentially a synthetic estrogen. You want to avoid the estrogen if you're at risk of breast cancer."[4] The U.S. National Institute of Health claims that fetuses, infants, and children exposed to BPA are at increased risk for early on-set puberty and prostate and breast cancer.[5] The National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health, issued a draft report expressing concern that bisphenol A could cause neural and behavioral problems in foetuses, infants and children.[6]
The U.S. government report, released by the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program on April 14, said more study needs to be done. It noted that low doses of BPA given to rodents - similar to the amounts humans are exposed to - have been linked to precancerous lesions in the prostate and mammary glands, altered prostrate gland and urinary tract development and early onset of puberty in females.[4]
The conversation jumps from BPA to phalatates - another chemical used in plastic toys and infant care products that could alter human male reproductive development. She threw out Costco-sized bottles of Johnson & Johnson shampoos and conditioners. "It's so overwhelming. You start with one thing and it goes on and on," she said. [4] Bisphenol-A, or BPA, is a chemical used in the production of polycarbonate plastic (including bottles and sippy cups) and epoxy linings of canned foods (including infant formula) to add strength and resilience to products.[3]
Bisphenol-a, used in transparent, shatter-resistant polycarbonate plastic, was labeled toxic by the Canadian government last week, the Times said. Similar to a human hormone, BPA was found to bring long-term changes in animals in studies, the Times said.[8] Last year, Eastman introduced Tritan copolyester, a plastic that the Kingsport, Tennessee-based company says has the benefits of polycarbonate but doesn't use BPA, the Times said.[8]
The present situation will likely help the company's sales. Last October, the company introduced Tritan, a plastic with the features of polycarbonate but without BPA in its composition, the Times reports.[2]
Nipples, nipple holders, bottle liners and venting systems in baby bottles are commonly made of plastics besides polycarbonate and are typically free of BPA.[3] "Concern is mounting worldwide about the use of the chemical Bisphenol A in plastic food containers, baby bottles and in the plastic lining of food tins.[9] "There is a an extraordinary fear level right now," said Carol Schreitmueller, director of research and development for Pacific Market International, the maker of Aladdin food containers and water bottles, as quoted by the Times. "It is going to change what happens to materials. We have to decide if people will trust this material anymore." In opposition to plastic producers who will have much to lose as a consequence of these reactions growing in vehemence, stands Eastman Chemical, which makes a comparable plastic without the controversial ingredient.[2]
Eastman Chemical and makers of food-grade stainless steel and glass stand to gain as manufacturers of sports bottles and other containers seek alternative materials, the Times said.[8]
The country's biggest retailers reacted by pulling other food and beverage containers, even as polycarbonate products were deemed safe for humans over 18 months old, the Times said.[8] "People have heard about it. They're saying, 'I want to make sure I get the right bottle.' " Still, in announcing their plans to go BPA-free, the three national retailers noted that the FDA considers products made with BPA to be safe.[4] Last week Nalgene, the maker of reusable water bottles popular among athletes and college students, said it would stop making bottles with BPA and recall products in stores.[3] Last week, Wal-Mart announced plans to stop selling children's products containing BPA by next year in U.S. stores.[3] Wal-Mart and other retailers in Canada have removed children's products containing BPA from shelves.[3]
Last week, major retailers anticipated Health Canada's announcement (to regulate and limit the use of BPA).[7]
Babies drinking warmed milk shouldn't use bottles with BPA either, since heat - as well as strong detergents - increases the risk of the chemical leaching into the drink.[4] It could not have been the chance to pose for photos with babies that led federal health and environment ministers to co-present a press conference on the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA). There they were, distributing BPA-free bottles, pleased as new papas passing out cigars.[7] The Green Party is calling for New Zealand health authorities to follow the lead of their Canadian counterparts and move to protect infants from exposure to a potentially harmful plastic used in baby bottles.[9] Recommended for one-time use only. # 4 (LDPE): Used in grocery store bags, plastic wraps and some bottles. # 5 (PP): Used in deli soup, syrup and yogurt containers, straws and other clouded plastic containers, including baby bottles.[4]
Plastic food containers and bottles polluted with BPA were condemned, and stores were placed under a "do-not-sell order."[7]
Wash in top rack and don't use in microwave. These are stores carrying glass bottles and/or BPA-free plastic bottles.[3] "I'm having a hard time finding them," said Stephanie McGuirk of Prairie Village, Kan., an acupuncturist and mother of 10-month-old son, Campbell Higgins. She prefers buying glass bottles from a store instead of online so she can handle the products before making up her mind.[3] Last week the polypropylene bottles hit store shelves. They cost the same as polycarbonate bottles. The company also is developing protective sleeves for its glass bottles that should be available in a few months.[3]
There are safer alternatives available. The thing is that these safer alternatives may make the processing time a little longer or may cost a few pennies more, and some companies aren'''t willing to put safety above profit. At least, now that we know what it is, we can try to limit our exposure to BPA and it helps that some retail giants are taking the first steps. Hopefully this trend will continue, in hopes that the ban on baby bottles is the beginning of the end for BPA. [5] Today, responding to consumer demand, national retailers are bringing back glass baby bottles after a generations-long absence.[3]
Sears "voluntarily removed from sale baby products and sport bottles which contain bisphenol A and are designed to come into direct contact with the mouth."[7] Nationally, sales of BPA-free baby products are up five-fold over last year at Toys 'R' Us stores.[4]
Operations manager Todd Schultz said sales of Nalgene bottles have dropped off while sales of stainless steel bottles, which are slightly more expensive, have doubled over last year.[4]
"We are in the process of eliminating the use of bottles with BPA because of consumer concerns," said Shannon Cates, spokeswoman for Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Merriam, Kan. Spokesmen at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and at the University of Kansas Hospital say they've used BPA-free bottles for years.[3] Some hospitals use polycarbonate bottles containing BPA for newborns and send new parents home with the bottles.[3]
"I know there are plastic ones out there that don't contain BPA, but I'd just rather use glass."[3] BPA is used in making hard plastics (not just baby bottles) and can be used as a liner in some metal cans (including baby formula.)[5]
". consumer exposure to BPA does not pose any risk to human health," says the American Chemistry Council.[4] While many uses pose no risk to consumers, some scientists worry about the health effects of ingesting low doses of the chemical, which mimics estrogen in the human body.[3]
However Carl Winter, director of the Food Safety Program at the University of California-Davis, says there is still no strong evidence supporting significant impacts on human health for bisphenol A.[6] "FSANZ should follow the Canadian example of being safe rather than sorry, and immediately move to get manufacturers to use food and drink containers which do not contain Bisphenol A. "In the meantime parents should be warned to avoid these products," Ms Kedgley says.[9]
Handi-Craft, the St. Louis manufacturer of Dr. Brown's bottles, recently started making BPA-free polypropylene plastic bottles in Missouri.[3]
Although the reaction against polycarbonate in the U.S. has not yet determined flat decisions as in Canada, 10 states, including California and Massachusetts, as well as Congress, are proposing legislative bans on the plastics.[2] Michael Schade of the U.S. environmental group Center for Health, Environment and Justice said governments and major retailers are recognising that the chemical is extremely toxic at low levels of exposure.[6] Relying on the results of animal studies, it expressed concern about possible links between exposure to the chemical and early puberty and prostate and breast cancer.[6] Many studies have shown BPA to be linked to other cancers and growth-development problems in older children and adults. And, while infants may be more vulnerable to this chemical, the rest of us need to be protected from it as well.[5]
The most concerning conclusion of the report is an eventual link between BPA exposure and developmental or reproductive disorders. Other possible effects are low birth weight and poor development of certain brain regions. It doesn't point out any connection between BPA and cancer, but it has been stated that it may have effects on breast and prostate tissue.[2] One recent U.S. study has linked it to increased cancers in animals and it has also been linked to hormone disruption and breast cancer," Green Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says.[9]
Baby bottles containing formula or refrigerated breast milk are commonly heated.[3] We use it for food storage. Before she was able to buy Born Free bottles for her then 4-month-old, Sherwin felt like she was "poisoning" her daughter.[4] Glass bottles are recommended for babies who don't yet feed themselves. Silicone sleeves help protect them from shattering.[3]
SOURCES
1. Major retailers pass on hard plastic - Salt Lake Tribune
2. Bisphenol A - A Troubling Issue for Many
3. Consumers back away from BPA products, but what's next?
4. Utahns discard plastic bottles and containers for BPA-free alternatives - Salt Lake Tribune
5. The Amherst Citizen: Columns | Plastic ban needs more
6. Radio New Zealand News : Latest News : Debate over safety of chemical in plastic bottle
7. Giving birth to a bandwagon
8. Bloomberg.com: Canada
9. Scoop: Better to be safe than sorry over baby bottles
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