First, let me say that I’m never been gaga over Sigg. I own no Sigg bottles. In fact, I’m not big on carrying water bottles around. I generally drink lots of water at home (in glasses and mugs). Hanging out at a cafe, I use their tableware. Working out at a gym, I drink from water fountains. The only time I “need” a water bottle is when traveling, hiking, or otherwise in the boonies. So, I’ve always found Sigg bottles catchy and cute, but rather expensive and not a necessary purchase.

In October, I was astounded at the outcry over Sigg’s revelation that their pre-2008 liner contained a trace amount of bisphenol A (BPA). Tests have proven that the old liners do not leach, but Sigg created a new liner to avoid any hint of contamination.

If Sigg claimed that their bottles were BPA-free, that was misleading. They should have been 100% clear. But, come on. Aren’t there bigger threats?

Why not go after investment banks, oil conglomerates, or big pharma? What about the multinational companies that manufacture in China, source of tainted pet food, infant formula, and construction materials? Shouldn’t we be concerned that Sarah Palin’s forthcoming memoir is a runaway bestseller?

As for health scandals, how come no one’s complaining about the BPA in canned goods? Shouldn’t we, like Mayor Bloomberg, go ballistic about trans fats, neatly hidden in popular supermarket crackers and cookies? And have you ever calculated the number of calories and fat in Starbucks monstrosities and movie popcorn? Why slam Sigg and then eat a tub of movie popcorn?

Sigg is such a minor offender. But it’s an easy target. And it somehow offended the green/eco types who so ardently championed the stylish Swiss-made aluminum bottle over its predecessor, the economical, everyman Nalgene.

I found out about the scandal from a close friend with a three-year-old I’ll call T. Mommy exchanged T’s old bottle (white with farm animals) for a new one (lavender with underwater flora, chosen with remarkable decisiveness by T). Okay. Stick to the safe side with kids.

Initially I was wary of the liner. I offered to exchange my boyfriend’s Sigg bottle for him, figuring that he (being a guy) would forgo the replacement offer. Me? Returns, exchanges, and customer complaints are among my specialties. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized there was nothing really wrong with the bottle.

It was barely used. It was not leaching BPA. And, by returning it to Sigg, it would end up as junk. Aluminum is recyclable but not biodegradable, although it does decompose very slowly (think 500 years for an aluminum can). Siggs are advertised as recyclable, but are they really? My city’s curbside recycling program doesn’t take them. I pictured a gargantuan mountain of discarded Siggs, once desirable, now junk.

My boyfriend’s Sigg avoided the ax.

Please click on the link above to register for a 2010 Tournament. Teams can also go to www.nations-baseball.com

Yes, it does strike fear into a man’s heart to read about erectile dysfunction caused by an environmental contaminant, but Men, it’s true.  Sad way to find out about it:  men who worked in a factory with BPA contaminants.  It didn’t take long for the BPA exposure to cause erectile dysfunction either, just a few months.  And while these men had higher levels of BPA exposure in China than men in the U.S., it happened fast and it was serious, so lower levels might just take a year to cause wilting while higher levels affect performance within a month or two:

The men handling BPA were four times as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction and seven times as likely to have difficulty with ejaculation, said De-Kun Li, a scientist at the Kaiser Foundation Research Institute

The workers studied did not have to spend years in the factory to develop problems – sexual dysfunction began in new workers after just months on the job, Li said.

Problems with ejaculation coupled with erectile dysfunction?  What man wants to take that kind of risk? Heck, what woman would want her man to take that risk?

Related articles by Zemanta

• BPA Linked to Sexual Dysfunction in Men (abcnews.go.com)
• Study links bisphenol A, sexual dysfunction (cbc.ca)
• Sex and BPA Don’t Mix, Say Researchers (health.usnews.com)
• Workplace BPA exposure increases risk of male sexual dysfunction (scienceblog.com)
• Say Bye to BPA (takepart.com)
• BPA in male workers linked to sex problems (ctv.ca)
• Water bottles and BPA (medicineandtechnology.com)

From the December issue of Consumer Reports magazine: “The chemical Bisphenol A, which has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners, has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because of potential health effects. The Food and Drug Administration will soon decide what it considers a safe level of exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), which some studies have linked to reproductive abnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.”

Given this article, I was pretty disturbed to see the following note sent by Muir Glen recently to a member of my family who was concerned about BPA. Muir Glen is a company whose canned organic tomato products I use regularly:

“Thank you for contacting Muir Glen regarding bisphenol-A in food packaging. Bisphenol-A is a critical component of protective coatings used with metal food packaging and provides important quality and safety features to canned foods.

Scientific and government bodies worldwide have examined the scientific evidence and consistently have reached the conclusion that BPA is not a risk to human health. Recent examples include comprehensive risk assessments in Japan and Europe and a review by an independent panel of experts organized by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. The can coatings used in Muir Glen packaging comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements for use in food contact applications. These coatings have long played an essential part in food preservation, helping to maintain wholesomeness, nutritional value, and product quality.

We work closely with our suppliers to ensure that all of the food ingredients and packaging materials we use are fully in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements and meet our high quality standards.

We will continue to monitor this situation. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us. Your questions and comments are always welcome. For more information on the safety of metal food containers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration press office may be contacted at (301) 436-2335.”

Sincerely,

Lori Quinn
Consumer Services

Really, Muir Glen? People who buy organic products largely buy them to avoid such questionable compounds as BPA. If other companies can package their products without BPA, so can you. Please stop justifying this.

Click here to find out how to take part in “Prevention not Prescriptions.”

other topics: click a “cateogry” or use search box

The Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) has sent out email alerts to all its members urging them to act now.

On November 5, Consumer Reports published a study looking at BPA levels in 19 different name-brand foods and found that a diverse assortment of canned foods, including some labeld “organic” and “BPA-free,” contained measurable levels of BPA.

The neurotoxic chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) is leaching into many of our foods and beverages.

The study concluded that children eating multiple servings per day of cnned foods with BPA could get a dose of BPA near levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies.

And a few days later, NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote an equally compelling piece that  sounds the alarm on this hormone-disrupting chemical.

A study released in October found an association between women’s exposure to Bisphenol-A during pregnancy and aggressive behavior in their daughters at two years of age.

Another study, released in November, revealed that male Chinese factory workers exposed to high levels of BPA had increased incidene of sexual dyspunction.

LDA and other concerned groups say the science is clear. 

More than 200 peer-reviewed studies show that this extremely toxic, synthetic estrogen is so powerful it can  cross the placenta at parts per billion or parts per trillion and negatively impact prenatal development, including brain development.

Adverse health effect associated with BPA exposure include

• neurological problems causing changes in behavior
• increased risk of breast & prostate cancer
• genital abnormalities in male babies
• early puberty in girls
• metabolic disorders (insulin resistance, altered fat metabolism)

BPA is considered the building block of polycarbonate plastic and can be found in baby bottles, water bottles, food storage containers, and epoxy resins that coat the lining of metal food cans, including infant formula cans.

It’s one of the most pervasive synthetic chemicals in modern life, with more than three billion pounds a year produced in the United States alone.

EMAIL YOUR SENATORS ABOUT  S.593

Right now the Senate is considering the “Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2009.“  It is “S. 593 – the BPA Act of 2009.”  The legislation has been introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein. 

It would ban BPA from food and beverage containers.

Send an email to your senator.  Ask them to co-sponsor the Ban Poisonous Substances (BPA) Act of 2009.

Find your senator’s contact information at http://www.senate.gov/ Or call any Senate office through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

source: LDA News-in-Brief, email.  http://www.ldanatl.org/

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

Have a look at this piece in TheCelebrityCafe.com. It seems environmental activist Erin Brockovich is speaking out against outdated chemical laws which still allow BPA and other harmful chemicals to be used in the production of cans and packaging in the USA.

It is well documented that the use of BPA has been restricted in many American states and in Canada due to a list of negative health risks and increased studies linking exposure from BPA to reproductive abnormalities, breast and prostate cancers, type II diabetes,  impaired immune function, obesity, and heart disease.

Brockovich has teamed up with other grassroots campaigners to take the Million Baby Crawl Campaign to key American cities and educate the public about The Kid Safe Chemical Act, a new toxic chemical bill being presented to Congress this month. She says

“This effort is about creating awareness and encouraging parents to be the watchdog for their children”

We are very proud to say that all BornFree™ products are 100% Free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC and are the safe and smart choice for you and your baby.

These days many companies  are removing these chemicals from children’s items. We never used them. Ever.

It is our hope that awareness in the UK will spread and the British public will put pressure on the government to outlaw the use of BPA in products meant for the use of children.

It is really great news that a well known champion of underdogs like Erin Brockovich has joined in the fight against BPA. Go Erin!

For more information on the Million Baby Crawl please visit the campaign website  www.millionbabycrawl.com

A new study reported by Oxford Journals (www.oxfordjournals.org) and available in a downloadable pdf here, a link has been found between bisphenol-A (BPA) and adverse effects on male sexual dysfunction.

BPA is present in many plastics, epoxy resins and polycarbonates from plastic drinking bottles and baby bottles to some dental sealants. Routine urine tests have found that most people are exposed to some levels of BPA. As quoted from the article “In a national sample of the US population, more than 90% of spot urine samples had detectable BPA with a median urine level of 2.7 mg/l (Calafat et al.,2005; Calafat et al., 2008; National Toxicology Program, 2008). Since BPA has a fast metabolism rate (half-life time ,6 h) (National Toxicology Program, 2008), this finding suggests a continuous exposure to BPA in the US population.”

At increased risk are workers in plants where exposure to BPA might be present.

The adverse sexual dysfunctions identified in men included problems getting or maintaining an erection, orgasmic difficulties, decrease or loss of sexual desire and overall dissatisfaction with sex life.

The article though fairly extensive emphasizes the need for further study.

http://www.walletpop.com/consumer-reports/insurance/article/concern-over-canned-foods/770756?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fconsumer-reports%2Finsurance%2Farticle%2Fconcern-over-canned-foods%2F770756

What does this have to do with writing?  Nothing, except you need your strength in order to create.  Also, nurse Rebecca asked for this recipe while I chowed down on my night shift.  This is my first vegetarian main dish, from Anne Lindsay’s Lighthearted Everyday Cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 (19 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed*
• 1 (19 ounce) can lentils, drained and rinsed*
• 1 (19 ounce) can tomatoes, drained*
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary or dried thyme
• pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese or shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In an oven proof skillet, heat oil over medium heat and cook the onion and celery until the onion is softened.

Add the beans, lentils, tomatoes and seasonings.

Break up the tomatoes.

Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Sprinkle on the cheese.

Broil until the cheese has melted.

SERVES 4

Alternative

I just sprinkle the cheese on to each individual.  The heat melts the cheese and you can add as much or as little as you like.

I also usually serve on a bed of rice, to make it filling and make the casserole last longer, and I add curry powder.

I often don’t have celery, so I’ll put in whatever durable veggie I’ve got.  Tasty, stick-to-your-ribs, real winter food.

*Did you know they use BPA (bisphenol-A) in cans?  Sad but true, so I had my mother buy Eden organic kidney beans.  I use regular dried lentils.  They’re so small, they cook fast.  And tomatoes, I cut up real tomatoes, which makes it less speedy but more healthy.  Once I used grape tomatoes instead.  Also works, just fork ‘em/smash ‘em before you eat them so you don’t end up with a searing tomato mouth bomb.

Article from consumerreports.org

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Consumer Reports recently tested a variety of canned foods to determine whether they contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the epoxy resin linings of most food and beverage cans.

 We found that even samples of canned food we tested from manufacturers who aim to reduce consumers’ BPA exposure by using non-epoxy based can linings had measurable amounts of the chemical.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently is reassessing what it considers a safe level of exposure to BPA, which some studies show is linked with increased risks of certain cancers, diabetes, reproductive abnormalities, and heart disease. Federal guidelines currently put the daily upper limit of exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. But that level is based on experiments done in the 1980s rather than hundreds of more recent animal and laboratory studies indicating that serious health risks could result from much lower doses of BPA.

Mounting scientific evidence of the chemical’s health risks prompted Eden Foods President and Chairman Michael Potter more than a decade ago to search for BPA-free cans for the canned foods produced by his Ann Arbor, Mich.-based natural foods company. In an interview with Consumer Reports, he explained that he eventually negotiated a deal with Ball Corp.—famous for its glass jars—to manufacture BPA-free cans starting in 1999 for Eden’s bean products, including chili. The inner coating of those cans is an oleo-based material originally known as “corn enamel,” which was commonly used in food can linings prior to the 1960s. That’s when epoxy resins took over the market because they helped extend shelf life without affecting flavor, according to Scott McCarty, spokesman for Ball Corp.

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Potter says that finding a supplier of cans that weren’t lined with BPA-containing epoxy resin was a difficult and frustrating process. “I made hundreds of calls to can manufacturers trying to find out what was in their can linings and I always ended up talking to an attorney in the Beltway who informed me to my amazement that it was a trade secret and I had no right to know,” says Potter.

The Ball Corp. eventually agreed to produce custom runs of cans with oleo-based C-enamel linings for Eden. It’s also doing research to develop BPA-free can coatings that could work for more acidic foods such as fruit, which Eden now markets in glass containers. “It’s costing me 14 percent more for these BPA-free cans, but I said I have to do this because not only do I eat canned foods, but so do my kids and grandkids,” Potter says.

Even so, the samples of Eden Baked Beans in our tests were found to contain an average of one part per billion of BPA. That’s far below many other food products we tested, which ranged up to a high of 191 ppb for a single sample. The fact that the Eden Baked Beans we tested still had any measurable amounts of BPA—even though our tests confirmed the cans did not have epoxy-based linings—suggests that food can have multiple sources of exposure.

BPA is now one of the highest-volume chemicals in the world, with more than 100 tons released into the atmosphere per year. Various studies have found BPA in dust and water samples from around the world. This unavoidable environmental exposure makes it all the more important to eliminate the use of BPA in can linings and all materials that come in contact with food. Consumers Union is calling upon manufacturers and government regulators to do just that.

BPA may affect sexual function in adult men, study finds

While the Food and Drug Administration continues to review the safety of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), a new epidemiological study finds for the first time that the ubiquitous substance may well have a serious impact on male sexual function in adults who are exposed to substantial amounts. The men affected worked in factories that manufactured BPA-containing materials and were exposed to relatively high levels of BPA.

Lower levels of BPA exposure are also a concern, and our latest tests found the chemical in just about every canned food we looked at. In that recent investigation, we found that consumers eating just one serving of the canned vegetable soup we tested would get about double what the FDA now considers typical average dietary daily exposure–though that is still far less than the occupational exposures that were noted in factory workers.

BPA is a chemical that can mimic estrogen, and it has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners. Some studies have linked exposure to BPA with reproductive abnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. Use of the chemical has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because of potential health effects. An FDA scientific advisory panel weighed in a year ago that the agency’s rationale for setting safety standards for BPA was inadequate. A congressional subcommittee determined earlier this year that the FDA relied too heavily on industry sponsored studies.

This latest study—funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and published in the journal Human Reproduction—found that workers in China who were exposed to significant amounts of BPA were about four times more likely to report reduced sexual desire, difficulty having an erection, and reduced satisfaction with their sex lives than unexposed workers. They were seven times more likely to have difficulty ejaculating. And the researchers found these effects were dose-related, so those with greater exposure were at higher risk.

Because the workers at the BPA facilities were exposed to relatively high doses of BPA, the researchers note that, “the findings from this study probably do not apply to populations that are exposed to low levels of BPA.” Still, the study is the first piece of evidence that BPA exposure may have a negative impact on human male sexual health, they say, and that finding “increases the need to examine the health effects of BPA in both occupationally and environmentally exposed populations.”

We agree, and we hope the FDA seriously reconsiders its safety levels for BPA while such research is conducted. Consumers Union believes that the use of BPA in all materials that come in contact with food should be eliminated. In the meantime, if you want to lower your exposure to BPA, here are a few simple steps:

• Choose fresh food whenever possible.
• Consider alternatives to canned food, beverages, juices, and infant formula.
• Use glass containers when heating food in microwave ovens.

—Kevin McCarthy, associate editor

 For more on reducing your family’s exposure to BPA and other harmful chemicals, see Plastic Worries. And you can keep up with news about BPA here, and at our Safety blog.

Industry reacts to Consumer Reports’ BPA report

 Consumer Reports’ recent article on the presence of Bisphenol A in canned food drew widespread interest after it was published this past week. It also quickly drew critical comments from industry groups representing companies that manufacture or use BPA, a chemical whose safety is currently being reassessed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The groups took exception to some parts of the report that found nearly all of the 19 name-brand canned foods we tested contained this chemical, which is used in the linings of most food and beverage cans. They did not dispute the test findings of the BPA levels we measured in canned food. Rather, the discussion focused on our risk assessment of the effects of BPA, which was based on the scientific literature that has become available over the past 20 years.
 
Here’s a sampling of those reactions, along with a more detailed discussion of some of the research involved in the debate:
             
1. The American Chemistry Council issued a press release contending that our experts’ recommendations, which include calling for a ban on the use of BPA in all materials that come in contact with food, is “inconsistent with the conclusions of expert regulatory bodies worldwide, all of which have confirmed that BPA exposure levels are low and well within safety standards.”

That is exactly the issue. As our story makes clear, food safety experts at Consumers Union believe federal regulatory guidelines—which are the same as those set by the European Food Safety Authority—are outdated and fail to adequately protect consumers. The FDA’s own scientific advisory board also concluded that the agency’s assessment of BPA’s safety is inadequate. Hundreds of scientific studies have shown harm in animal studies from extremely low levels of BPA—levels that are ten to twenty thousand times lower than what the FDA considered as the basis of its safety assessment in 1988. And even some human studies show a link between elevated BPA levels and harmful effects such as diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Our test results show that consumers may be exposed to potentially harmful levels of BPA that could be reached through a few or multiple servings of the canned foods we tested.
2. The North American Metal Packaging Alliance released a similar public statement.  It cited a recently published study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which the can industry trade group says provides “strong new scientific evidence” that exposure to BPA at levels found in our test results is safe.

It is not surprising that the authors did not find effects from BPA because this study used a specific type of rat (Long-Evans) that has been previously shown to be insensitive or unresponsive to low-dose exposures to BPA and even typical birth-control dosages of synthetic estrogen, which was used as a control in the experiment. The insensitivity to both was confirmed again in this study. In other, more estrogenic-sensitive lab animals, BPA has been shown to cause adverse effects at BPA dose levels used in this study.
 
3. A blog posted by Trevor Butterworth, online editor of Statistical Assessment Service (STATS), questioned the scientific evidence used in our risk assessments. STATS says it is a non-profit, non-partisan  organization that acts as “a resource for journalists and policy makers on major scientific issues and controversies.” In his blog, Butterworth claimed that studies we cited as evidence of harm from BPA at low doses are irrelevant because they involved exposing lab animals to BPA via injection rather than orally.

In studies using adult lab animals, injecting BPA results in levels that are similar or slightly higher than those seen after the chemicals are administered orally, making those studies relevant. And a comprehensive study of the metabolism of BPA in newborn lab animals showed that there was no difference in the levels of free BPA based on the route of administration (oral versus injection). This suggests that for newborns, who are especially vulnerable to BPA’s health risks, the route of exposure matters even less than in adults.

It’s not the first time Butterworth has come to the defense of the BPA industry.  Earlier this year he also harshly criticized a prize-winning series of articles about BPA’s health risks by reporters at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  The Milwaukee newspaper recently published a follow-up story describing a public relations blitz  by the BPA industry that “uses many of the same tactics—and people—the tobacco industry used in its decades-long fight against regulation.” 

The story includes a graph mapping a web of potential conflicts of interest in the battle over BPA and noted that STATS is affiliated with the Center for Media and Public Affairs, “a group which was paid by the tobacco industry to monitor news stories about the dangers of tobacco.” Tobacco lobbyists had a keen interest in the government’s assessment of BPA because of concerns that a ban on the chemical would affect cigarette filters and plastic packaging, according to the newspaper account.

Consumer Reports examined STATS’  tax returns for  2005 through 2007, which confirm that relationship,  with the 2007 return stating that salary costs for STATS are shared with the Center for Media and Public Affairs. Other documents Consumer Reports has examined show STATS also has received funding from ExxonMobil, a major producer of benzene, one of the components used to manufacture BPA. ExxonMobil also makes a plastic food packaging film containing BPA.

The influence of industry over decisions about BPA’s safety and regulation is also detailed in a fascinating new report “The Politics of Plastics: The Making and Unmaking of Bisphenol A ‘Safety’”, published this week in the American Journal of Public Health.

Tracing the chemical’s history from its commercialization starting in the 1950s by producers such as General Electric, Shell Chemical, Dow Chemicals and Union Carbide through the present, the report notes that even though the government still adheres to a 20-year-old safety standard, some retailers and even BPA producers such as Sunoco now are responding to mounting concerns about the chemical’s safety. Six baby bottle manufacturers have announced that they are removing BPA from their products and Sunoco is asking its business customers to provide written confirmation that the BPA it sells them will not be used in food containers intended for children under the age of three. 
—Andrea Rock, Senior Editor
—Urvashi Rangan, PhD., Technical Policy Director, Consumers Union

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm

http://kl.am/4YMo

We’ve all heard the buzz about BPA in the news recently. Baby bottles, plastic containers and even plastic water bottles now claim to be BPA free. But what does that mean? Bisphenol A is a chemical used in clear plastic bottles that is known to leak (especially when put in the microwave) and may cause reproductive abnormalities, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. Exposure to this chemical is particularly a concern for babies, young children and pregnant women.

Recently, it’s been found in a number of canned foods and even baby formula. An article written in The Huffington Post claims that most people are probably exposed to more BPA from eating canned food or drinking canned soda than from drinking out of a polycarbonate bottle. BPA leaches out of the can liner into the food or drink, especially when the food is acidic such as is the case with tomato-based products or sodas.

However, the most shocking information comes from an article in Consumer Reports Magazine. Their latest tests of canned foods, including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans, have found that almost all of the 19 name-brand foods tested contain some BPA. This includes canned organic foods, which did not always have lower BPA levels than nonorganic brands of similar foods analyzed. The chemical was also found in some cans that were labeled “BPA-free.” Please take the time to read this article (Consumer Report) and find out which specific brands are listed and also what we can do to limit our exposure.

-Carissa

Huffington Post – Cans: A Source of BPA by Wendy Gordon

Oj oj vad många som är intresserade av hålla sitt kaffe (eller valfri dryck) varmt. Så för att göra dig nöjd kommer här lite fler tips på termosmuggar!

Det första tipset kommer från Alladin och består av återvunnen plast och finns i flera färgglada varianter. Även mugg nummer två kommer från Alladin och har det bekanta uttrycket “I’m not a paper cup” tryckt på sidan. Alladin som jag skrivit om tidigare, kommer snart att sälja sina produkter i Sverige på Designtorget och på Travel Heroes. Kan du inte vänta till dess hittar du deras sortiment på deras tyska webbshop, så är tyskan inget problem för dig är det ett alternativ.

Det andra tipset kommer från Contigo. Muggen består av rostfritt stål och har ett vacum-superlock vilket betyder att spilla aldrig kommer att finnas i ditt vokabulär mer. Dessutom är muggen fri från BPA (läs mer om detta här) och finns i fem härliga färger. Min favorit är lila! Tyvärr går det inte att beställa den via deras egen sida men den finns som tur är på Amazon och kostar runt 180 kr inklusive frakt.

Läs om fler termosmuggar i tidigare inlägg: Termosmugg, Håll ditt kaffe varmt

Articolo aggiornato dopo la pubblicazione

La rivista indipendente ConsumerReports.org ha fatto analizzare da un laboratorio indipendente alcuni alimenti confezionati, alla ricerca del controverso contaminante chimico BPA. I risultati che saranno pubblicati nel numero di dicembre, sono preoccupanti. Il contaminante è stato trovato anche in cibi la cui etichetta recava l’indicazione BPA-free. L’analisi si è svolta su 19 prodotti, tre confezioni ogni prodotto, lotti differenti.

Sono stati analizzati, succhi di frutta, verdure in scatola, tonno, carne in scatola, conserve, pelati, zuppe, piatti pronti. Su quasi tutti i prodotti è stata riscontrata la presenza del BPA, nei prodotti organici la quantità non era diversa dagli omologhi “normali”.

Le linee guida consigliano un’esposizione giornaliera di 50 microgrammi di BPA per kg di peso corporeo, ma si tratta di un valore degli anni 80. Oggi numerosi studi indicano una soglia di pericolo a livelli inferiori.  ll bisfenolo A è uno dei principali additivi utilizzati nella plastica.

E’ classificato  come interferente endocrino e si trova  nelle resine epossifenoliche, impiegate nel rivestimento interno delle scatolette per alimenti e bibite, dei coperchi in metallo degli omogeneizzati di barattoli e bottiglie di vetro,  nei serbatoi domestici dell’acqua potabile e nei tini per il vino. Considerato soprattutto una sostanza estrogenica, ma con possibili effetti anche sulla tiroide, gli studi di laboratorio e recenti ricerche sull’uomo associano un’elevata esposizione con rischi di abortività, alterato sviluppo fetale con ricadute a lungo termine sulla salute (infertilità, sistema nervoso).

La regolamentazione del bisfenolo A è tuttora sotto esame; nella sua opinione del 2006 l’EFSA raccomanda come assunzione massima tollerabile 50 microgrammi per kg di peso al giorno (cioè 0,30 mg per un bambino di 6 kg e 3 mg per un soggetto di 60 kg). Tuttavia questi valori potrebbero essere rivisti alla luce di nuovi studi. L’auspicio del mondo scientifico è che queste ricerche siano lo spunto  per rivedere i limiti massimi di residui (LMR) ammessi in modo da tutelare la salute di bambini e neonati in quanto più suscettibili degli adulti.

Da qualche anno la comunità scientifica sollecita una regolamentazione più severa per gli interferenti endocrini (IE). La gente conosce poco queste sostanze ormai presenti in diversi alimenti e considerati contaminanti ubiquitari. La lista degli IE purtroppo è lunga e comprende, oltre al Bisfenolo A, le  famose diossine,  anche i ritardanti di fiamma utilizzati in apparecchiature elettroniche, nei tessuti di arredo, nelle tappezzerie.

«Il problema è serio – sottolinea Alberto Mantovani tossicologo dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità – perché i ritardanti di fiamma sono diffusissimi, ma non esistono limiti per gli alimenti. Si tratta di sostanze poco biodegradabili che, disperdendosi nell’acqua e nel terreno  si  accumulano nel grasso degli animali, e finiscono inevitabilmente nella catena alimentare, col risultato di essere  ingeriti dall’uomo attraverso latte, carne, pesce…. Negli Stati Uniti le autorità sanitarie  ritengono  il Bisfenolo A una sostanza il cui uso va ridotto perché provoca rischi per il feto.

Il sito Galileonet.it segnala un recente studio comparso sulla rivista Human Reproduction, da cui emerge che un’esposizione al bisfenolo-A (Bpa), aumenta i rischi di impotenza per gli uomini. L’indagine è stata  condotta  su 230 operai cinesi impiegati nel settore della plastica a Shanghai e su un campione controllo di 404 lavoratori di altri settori ma concittadini. La ricerca mostra che i dipendenti delle fabbriche di Bpa sono quattro volte più soggetti a disfunzione erettile e calo del desiderio sessuale – e sette volte più portati ad avere difficoltà di eiaculazione – rispetto agli altri. Sebbene non si possano escludere co-fattori, va sottolineato che i livelli di esposizione dei lavoratori cinesi delle fabbriche di Bpa sono 50 volte superiori a quelli medi cui è esposta la popolazione di Shanghai.

ConsumerReports tiene a precisare che i loro test trasmettono una fotografia del mercato e non forniscono una conclusione generale. I livelli degli stessi prodotti acquistati in tempi e luoghi differenti o di altre marche di prodotti simili potrebbero differire dai loro risultati di test.

Tuttavia, questi risultati sono importanti perché indicano il grado di esposizione potenziale: i consumatori mangiando solo una porzione di zuppa di verdura in scatola si esporrebbero a circa il doppio di ciò che si ritiene ormai la tipica media dell’esposizione alimentare giornaliera.

I livelli più elevati di BPA sono stati rilevati nelle zuppe in scatola (Campbell’s, Progresso), nelle verdure in scatola (fagiolini del Del Monte), se una persona mangiasse una porzione di quei fagiolini avrebbe ingerito una dose di BPA 80 volte superiore al consentito.

Data la rilevanza dell’esposizione al BPA per neonati e bambini sono stati testati anche prodotti destinati all’infanzia: il 100% succo di mela della Netlè e un campione della Similac Advance Infant Formula. Il BPA riscontrato in questi prodotti non è stato tra i più elevati, ma possono rappresentare un rischio comunque. Dato che un bambino consuma tanto di quei prodotti: bere tre porzioni al giorno di succo di mela Nestlè in scatola con i livelli di BPA comparabili ai livelli trovati nei campioni usati nel test, porterebbe ad una dose di BPA che è più del limite giornaliero.

Fonti: http://www.43zero58.com +  http://robertolapira.nova100.ilsole24ore.com/

Image courtesy of Consumer Reports

Almost everyone knows by now that many of the refillable water bottles we love are lined with an epoxy-based material that contains carcinogenic chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA). Public outcry has resulted in several manufacturers now offering bottles with alternative, non-epoxy-based linings.

What is not quite so well known, however, is that the linings of most food and beverage cans are also this same type of epoxy resin that also contain BPA. This is the chemical that is responsible for the vastly longer shelf lives of canned foods in this day and age, which is why it’s become so ubiquitous.

Consumer Reports recently tested a variety of canned foods for its presence, and found that even organic foods, and those made by manufacturers who make a concerted effort to avoid the epoxy resins still have significant levels of BPA in the food samples tested. Only one manufacturer, Eden, has so far managed to find a source of cans that was even willing to address the problem and attempt to make cans without BPA.

Despite being packed in cans made by the Ball Corp. with the oleo-based material previously known as “corn enamel”, which was common in food can linings prior to the 60s, testing still found measurable levels of BPA in Eden’s foods (although vastly below those found in other brands), suggesting that there may be multiple sources of exposure to the chemical in the food chain, not just in the cans.

You can read the rest of the whole article about this, and learn about the FDA’s new assessments of what a safe level of BPA exposure may be on the Consumer Reports blog.

So should you clean out your kitchen cabinets, throw away all of your canned foods, and never buy any more? In the ideal world, perhaps yes, but we all know that we don’t live in one. BPA is one of the highest volume chemicals in the world, though, even found in dust and water samples from all over the world, so at this point, it’s completely unavoidable in the environment, and it would be a reasonable assumption that this is one of the additional sources Consumer Reports speculates about. Eliminating BPA from food can linings may help, but until that happens, you can at least dramatically decrease your exposure to it by avoiding canned food wherever possible.

So what does this have to do with interior design?

Kristi Stratton, CountryLiving.com

Well, clearly kitchens are where food is stored and prepared, and most are now designed with as much storage space as possible for both housewares and packaged foods. You may find, however, that as you reduce your reliance on canned goods and other processed foods, that you may need different types of storage, and it may need to be configured somewhat differently. Many things can be packaged in glass or ceramic containers instead of plastic or cans, but both glass and ceramics tend to be a lot heavier and bulkier than cans and plastic containers, and of course will break if dropped, so you’ll need to pay careful attention to how your storage is laid out so that they are easily – and safely – accessible. Increased refrigeration space may be required as well, in order to accomm0date a wider range of fresh produce and other foods.

It may be that you won’t actually even need as much space, though, because the shorter shelf lives of fresh foods and those that come in jars instead of cans means you’ll probably be shopping more often, but for smaller quantities. Or perhaps you’ll start buying in bulk and doing your own canning and preserving.

Library of Congress via TheSustainableKitchen.com

You’ll be chopping up more things, so ensuring adequate preparation space that suits your needs and ideally allows you to work while seated as well as standing will be useful.

You may need or want additional cooktop burners or additional and innovative cooking sources like the marvelous new steam or combination steam/convection ovens. Steaming is one of the best possible ways to prepare food, locking in both nutrients and moisture, and these ovens make it so incredibly convenient that you wouldn’t believe it.

Miele Steam Oven

And because it’s healthier for both you and the environment, avoiding canned foods and learning to make your own fresh, more healthful meals from scratch, you’ll also be being much more green. True sustainable design doesn’t end with the cabinets and other finishes used; it translates through to how the space is used, how waste is removed, and much, much more.

So, if you’re designing a new kitchen, you’ll need to take these changing food preparation habits into account, and communicate your desires to your designer, so that the space can be optimized for food preparation patterns that are less common today than they used to be, and with which you yourself may not yet be as familiar with the requirements of and ways to optimize.

 By Jasie James

Staff Writer

Business Professionals of America, a school organization at Webster Broadcasting and Digital Media Magnet High School, helps students with college and career readiness.

One of the organization’s faculty sponsors, Sharman Sanders, said that the officers are getting ready to train in the areas of making a difference through community service, becoming a leader and giving presentations.

Some of the ideas for future fundraisers that the BPA student members came up with at their Nov. 5 meeting were selling soap, beef jerky or chocolate roses. Mrs. Sanders said the organization has already raised money by selling $15 signs for the royal court coronation. After paying for officer dues, that fundraiser left the group with $271, she said. BPA might be getting blazers later this year, she added.

BPA members also discussed possibly visiting Tulsa University or Oral Roberts University. They said a trip to ORU could happen as early as December.

The organization also discussed getting guest speakers like Jeff Reasor, the president of Reasor’s. BPA has not finalized any decisions on future fundraisers, college visits or guest speakers.

The first event the organization did this year was a ropes course challenge. Mrs. Sanders also said that BPA had their induction ceremony at Booker T. Washington High School on Oct. 13. Later this year they will be going to the state convention, she said.

Other faculty sponsors for BPA are Linda Bingaman, Eugenia Latimer, Tracy Ogle and Lora Reynolds.

The officers for BPA are Nathaniel Redd: President, Eduardo Aguayo: Vice President, Treeon Williams: Secretary, Heather Taylor: Treasurer, Whitney Cox: Historian, Bria Coleman: Chaplain, Krista Dillingham: Reporter and Brittani Garell. However, new officer elections were scheduled for Nov. 11.

Sam Jamison contributed reporting.

Contact the Webster Weekly websterweekly@gmail.com.

Bisfenol-A aumentaria risco de impotência masculina:

O BPA é um componente químico que serve para diluir a resina do polyester para facilitar sua laminação, e tem sido alvo de várias investigações sobre seus potenciais efeitos negativos à saúde.

Em março passado, seis grandes fabricantes americanos de mamadeiras decidiram abandonar os produtos com BPA nos Estados Unidos, onde é analisado um projeto para proibir recipientes com o produto.

Além de mamadeiras, copos, garrafas e outros recipientes plásticos utilizam o BPA, do mesmo modo que próteses dentárias.

Migobaiano também explica, ou melhor, o Wikipedia também fala a respeito, para treinar o seu inglês:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

Study in China is likely to bring further scrutiny of the common chemical
By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Exposure to high levels of a controversial chemical found in thousands of everyday plastic products appears to cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in men, according to a new study published Wednesday.

The study, funded by the federal government and published in the journal Human Reproduction, is the first to examine the impact of bisphenol A, or BPA, on the reproductive systems of human males. Previous studies have involved mice or rats.

The research comes as government agencies debate the safety of BPA, a compound that is found in thousands of consumer products ranging from dental sealants to canned food linings and that is so ubiquitous it has been detected in the urine of 93 percent of the U.S. population.

Researchers focused on 634 male workers at four factories in China who were exposed to elevated levels of BPA. They followed the men over five years and compared their sexual health with that of male workers in other Chinese factories where BPA was not present.

The men handling BPA were four times as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction and seven times as likely to have difficulty with ejaculation, said De-Kun Li, a scientist at the Kaiser Foundation Research Institute, which conducted the study with funds from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

BPA, which was developed in the 1930s as a synthetic version of estrogen, appears to throw off the hormonal balance in the human body, Li said.

The workers studied did not have to spend years in the factory to develop problems — sexual dysfunction began in new workers after just months on the job, Li said.

The workers had levels of exposure to BPA that were 50 times what an average U.S. man faces. But the findings raise questions about whether exposure at lesser levels can affect sexual function, Li said. “This was a highly exposed group, and we see the effect,” he said. “Now, we have to worry about lower-level exposure.”

Li said the study is significant because chemical manufacturers and other defenders of BPA have long complained that research raising questions about its health effects was conducted on laboratory animals.

“Critics dismissed all the animal studies, saying, ‘Show us the human studies,’ ” Li said. “Now we have a human study, and this can’t just be dismissed.”

Since BPA is most readily absorbed through food and drink containers, health advocates have been particularly focused on how the Food and Drug Administration is regulating the chemical. The agency has maintained that BPA is safe. But a growing body of research over the past decade has linked BPA to a range of health effects in laboratory animals, including infertility, weight gain, behavioral changes, early-onset puberty, cancer and diabetes.

Steven G. Hentges of the American Chemistry Council, which represents the chemical industry, said the new study has little meaning for consumers. “Although this study presents interesting information, it has little relevance to average consumers who are exposed to trace levels of BPA,” he said.

Still, concern about the chemical among consumers has created pressure in the marketplace. Manufacturers have pledged to take BPA out of baby bottles and water bottles. A handful of jurisdictions around the country have banned BPA from baby products, and similar measures are pending in state legislatures.

Last year, the FDA’s scientific advisory board criticized the agency for ignoring more than 100 academic and government studies that linked BPA with health effects. The Obama administration has pledged a “fresh look” at the issue, and the FDA is expected to complete that review by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, the federal government announced last month that it is giving $30 million to researchers across the country over the next two years in an aggressive push to advance knowledge about BPA and end the debate about its safety.

November 8, 2009
OP-ED COLUMNIST
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Your body is probably home to a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. It’s a synthetic estrogen that United States factories now use in everything from plastics to epoxies — to the tune of six pounds per American per year. That’s a lot of estrogen.

More than 92 percent of Americans have BPA in their urine, and scientists have linked it — though not conclusively — to everything from breast cancer to obesity, from attention deficit disorder to genital abnormalities in boys and girls alike.

Now it turns out it’s in our food.

Consumer Reports magazine tested an array of brand-name canned foods for a report in its December issue and found BPA in almost all of them. The magazine says that relatively high levels turned up, for example, in Progresso vegetable soup, Campbell’s condensed chicken noodle soup, and Del Monte Blue Lake cut green beans.

The magazine also says it found BPA in the canned liquid version of Similac Advance infant formula (but not in the powdered version) and in canned Nestlé Juicy Juice (but not in the juice boxes). The BPA in the food probably came from an interior coating used in many cans.

Should we be alarmed?

The chemical industry doesn’t think so. Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council dismissed the testing, noting that Americans absorb quantities of BPA at levels that government regulators have found to be safe. Mr. Hentges also pointed to a new study indicating that BPA exposure did not cause abnormalities in the reproductive health of rats.

But more than 200 other studies have shown links between low doses of BPA and adverse health effects, according to the Breast Cancer Fund, which is trying to ban the chemical from food and beverage containers.

“The vast majority of independent scientists — those not working for industry — are concerned about early-life low-dose exposures to BPA,” said Janet Gray, a Vassar College professor who is science adviser to the Breast Cancer Fund.

Published journal articles have found that BPA given to pregnant rats or mice can cause malformed genitals in their offspring, as well as reduced sperm count among males. For example, a European journal found that male mice exposed to BPA were less likely to make females pregnant, and the Journal of Occupational Health found that male rats administered BPA had less sperm production and lower testicular weight.

This year, the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that pregnant mice exposed to BPA had babies with abnormalities in the cervix, uterus and vagina. Reproductive Toxicology found that even low-level exposure to BPA led to the mouse equivalent of early puberty for females. And an array of animal studies link prenatal BPA exposure to breast cancer and prostate cancer.

While most of the studies are on animals, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported last year that humans with higher levels of BPA in their blood have “an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities.” Another published study found that women with higher levels of BPA in their blood had more miscarriages.

Scholars have noted some increasing reports of boys born with malformed genitals, girls who begin puberty at age 6 or 8 or even earlier, breast cancer in women and men alike, and declining sperm counts among men. The Endocrine Society, an association of endocrinologists, warned this year that these kinds of abnormalities may be a consequence of the rise of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and it specifically called on regulators to re-evaluate BPA.

Last year, Canada became the first country to conclude that BPA can be hazardous to humans, and Massachusetts issued a public health advisory in August warning against any exposure to BPA by pregnant or breast-feeding women or by children under the age of 2.

The Food and Drug Administration, which in the past has relied largely on industry studies — and has generally been asleep at the wheel — is studying the issue again. Bills are also pending in Congress to ban BPA from food and beverage containers.

“When you have 92 percent of the American population exposed to a chemical, this is not one where you want to be wrong,” said Dr. Ted Schettler of the Science and Environmental Health Network. “Are we going to quibble over individual rodent studies, or are we going to act?”

While the evidence isn’t conclusive, it justifies precautions. In my family, we’re cutting down on the use of those plastic containers that contain BPA to store or microwave food, and I’m drinking water out of a metal bottle now. In my reporting around the world, I’ve come to terms with the threats from warlords, bandits and tarantulas. But endocrine disrupting chemicals — they give me the willies.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a chemical that acts like a synthetic estrogen. It’s in our bodies as early as neonatal development. It has been found in the cord blood of newborns. This is not good. BPA has been implicated in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), breast cancer, and genital malformation in boys and girls — to name a few health issues. BPA is part of plastics and is released when plastic is heated. That’s why it’s not a good idea to use plastic wrap or plastic containers when heating foods in the microwave. By the same token, do not put plastic containers in the dishwashers. The high water temperature and drying cycle releases BPA.

That brings us to water in plastic bottles. Just when we start drinking water, rather than sugary drinks, we’re told that the bottles contain something deleterious to health. And, of course, all those empty plastic bottles are not a boon for the environment. At home, use glasses for drinking. On the road, invest in a metal drinking bottle. Be certain that the interior is not coated in ceramic, not plastic. Unfortunately, canned foods seem to all contain BPA. Use fresh, frozen, or aspectically packaged (in boxes) varieties. A great resource for information about BPA is www.breastcancerfund.org.

Ceramic-lined aluminum water bottles

And remember mason jars? They still make great storage containers, too.

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