Microwave-Safe Plastics and BPA Exposure
Nov 15th, 2008 by staff entry
Convenience At What Price?
There is no denying the convenience of being able to quickly microwave a frozen dinner or snack. However, recent testing has shown that certain products labeled as “Microwave Safe” leach Bisphenol-A when heated. The Journal-Sentinel newspaper ran tests on a variety of products and found that BPA leached from all of them.
The tests found that BPA was present in frozen food trays, microwaveable soup containers and plastic baby food packaging. Frederick vom Saal, a leading researcher in the area of BPA safety claims that there is no such thing as microwave-safe plastics. The food industry does not dispute the fact that BPA leaches from the products but claims that the levels are well below the limits set by government agencies as being safe.
Researchers are finding that the levels of BPA do not necessarily need to be high in order to cause health problems especially in infants and younger children. BPA acts as a hormone that mimics estrogen and disrupts the endocrine system.
For more information you can read the complete article entitled BPA leaches from safe products.
Tips on Avoiding BPA Exposure
The article offers the following suggestions on how to avoid exposure to Bisphenol-A provided by the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit:
- Do not use plastic containers to heat food or beverages in the microwave.
- Avoid using plastic cling wrap in the microwave.
- Keep plastics out of the dishwasher.
- Reduce the use of canned foods because they may leach BPA
- Look for BPA-Free labels on products
- Instead of plastics use glass containers for reheating.
BPA Found In Canned Food & Drinks
Similar testing was recently done by a Canadian television network and newspaper (CTV and The Globe and Mail) to determine whether BPA is present in canned foods. Of the 14 containers tested, BPA was found in all of them.
The article, entitled New tests find BPA in kids’ food containers, provides a chart of the test results, identifies the types of containers tested and includes some of the responses they received from the food manufacturers.