Legislation to Ban BPA in Bottles and Food Containers Introduced

This is great news! I will post this article below.

I have been guilt-laden for a while now as I finally took this issue seriously. Just this weekend I realized the gorgeous kitchen tool that has been a workhorse for me for the last 6 months is NOT BPA-Free! I'm just sick about it. I've contacted Cuisinart twice now and have not heard back from them. Interesting because when I first purchased my machine, I wrote them an email asking if they would send me a DVD instead of a VHS tape (which came with the package) that illustrated some techniques. They not only answered my email, but replied with a phone call in return! Wow! I was so impressed. Now with BPA being such a hot issue, they haven't replied. It will be interesting to see if they do.

So, fair warning to all the mom's out there. As far as I can tell, there is no food processor on the market that has BPA-Free work bowls.

Luckily I have a glass blender that I can now use for Oliver's food. There are many stainless steel and glass blenders out there. A friend of mine just recommended the Vitamix 5200, which they call "The World's First" and it just might be the first power machine made of BPA-Free plastic.

In addition, I'd like to add that there is this seemingly wonderful product, The BeabaBaby sold at William-Sonoma is now available in a BPA-Free plastic. This would be great except for the fact that it's simply not large enough to do the heavy power cooking that I do for Oliver. It's great for small batches of simple purees.

So here's the AboutLawsuits.com article about introducing legislation. You can even fill out a form at the end of the article if you think you may have a case. It's dated March 16th, 2009.

Bills have been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate to ban bisphenol A (BPA)in all food and beverage containers, due to growing concerns that the chemical could pose long-term health risks, especially for young children.

The legislation was introduced on March 13, 2009, by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Charles E. Schumer (D-New York), and Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts).

Bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA, is used in a variety of different plastic consumer products like baby bottles, soda can linings, food and beverage containers. The chemical is used to the make the plastic hard and shatterproof.

Health concerns over the safety of BPA have grown in recent years, as experts have suggested that low doses of BPA can seep into the food or liquid in the containers. Exposure to the chemicals over a long period of time could result in developmental abnormalities and health problems.

The concerns have mainly focused on the use of BPA in baby bottles, as infants and young children may not eliminate the chemical from their body fast enough to prevent accumulation of toxic amounts.

BPA has also been linked to breast and testicular cancer, obesity, hyperactivity, diabetes, miscarriage, low sperm count and other reproductive problems in laboratory animals.

In October 2008, the attorney generals of several states wrote to the major manufacturers of infant products, including Handicraft Co., Evenflo Co., Playtex Products Inc., Disney First Years, Gerber and Avent America Inc., asking them to stop using BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups and other products.

As of March 6, 2009, at least six of the manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to not use BPA in baby feeding products. Several large retailers, including Walmart and Babies R’ Us, have also agreed not to carry BPA bottles.

Last week, the gas and chemical company, Sunoco, indicated that they will no longer sell BPA to companies unless they guarantee that it will not be used to manufacture food and water containers for children below 3 years of age.