Report: BPA leaches from “microwave safe” products
Toxic doses of the chemical bisphenol A were released when products made for babies were heated in a microwave or conventional oven during a test by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Of the 10 products tested during the newspaper’s investigation, the highest amounts of leaching were found in a can of Enfamil liquid infant formula and a Rubbermaid plastic food-storage container. Other products tested that babies might eat or eat from included Munchkin bowls, Gerber Graduates Pasta Pick-ups and Campbell’s Just Heat & Enjoy tomato soup.
Some of the levels detected were the same amount that scientists have found to cause neurological and development damage in laboratory animals. “There is no such thing as safe microwaveable plastic,” said Frederick vom Saal, a University of Missouri researcher who oversaw the newspaper’s testing.
BPA is a key ingredient used to make common household plastics, and studies have shown that 93 percent of Americans have it in their body. Many scientists say that babies should avoid BPA products because their tiny kidneys cannot eliminate toxins quickly.
In October, Canada declared the chemical a human health hazard and will soon ban it from baby products. The Food and Drug Administration has declared BPA in plastics to be of low dosage and safe. But a panel of scientists charged that the agency was creating “a false sense of security.” Six senators support a BPA ban like Canada’s.
In the Journal-Sentinel’s investigation, reporters found that products that an average one-year-old child might consume would expose her to the same amount of BPA that caused mammary gland changes in mice. Those changes in humans can lead to breast cancer.
Food companies say that parents worried about BPA should not microwave meals in plastic containers with the recyling number 7 stamped on the bottom. That designation indicates that BPA was used. But the newspaper reported that BPA also leached from containers with different recyling numbers, including 1, 2 and 5.
Many food companies tout their products as “microwave safe,” but that label is not regulated by the federal government. BPA can make its way into the food from the plastic packaging when the containers are heated.
The American Chemistry Council dismissed the Journal-Sentinel’s tests. Food company officials told reporters that the doses in the tests were too low to be significant to human health.
But Bradley Kirschner, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the father of three young girls, said that U.S. officials need to do more safety checks on the chemical, following Canada’s example. “If an entire country is banning it, that makes it hard to ignore,” he said.
The Environmental Working Group, a public health advocacy nonprofit, recommends that parents use glass or ceramic bowls when heating up food and to use baby bottles labeled BPA-free. Other tips to minimize exposure can be found here.
