Flash in the Pan

Scientific American has an article about plastic food containers leaching the stabilization chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) into their contents. The last time I mentioned this was in connection with Nalgene, but, if this story is correct, it expands greatly on the topic. BPA is a stabilizing chemical used in many plastics, not just polycarbonate, and that there are potential health risks with BPA has been known since the 1930s. The chemical is also more ubiquitous in the food industry than I had realized:

BPA is routinely used to line cans to prevent corrosion and food contamination; it also makes plastic cups and baby and other bottles transparent and shatterproof. When the polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins made from the chemical are exposed to hot liquids, BPA leaches out 55 times faster than it does under normal conditions, according to a new study by Scott Belcher, an endocrine biologist at the University of Cincinnati. "When we added boiling water [to bottles made from polycarbonate] and allowed it to cool, the rate [of leakage] was greatly increased," he says, to a level as high as 32 nanograms per hour.

The chemical also leaches more quickly when exposed to other heat sources, like dishwashers and microwave ovens. The problem is that no one seems to agree on whether this is a health risk or not:

The Food and Drug Administration has approved its use and the EPA does not consider it cause for concern. One U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel agreed, but another team of government scientists last year found that the amount of BPA present in humans exceeds levels that have caused ill effects in animals. They also found that adults' ability to tolerate it does not preclude damaging effects in infants and children.

It does seem that the biggest problem is for infants and pregnant women, but who knows what else might be an issue? The plastics industry is pushing to keep using BPA because they don't have a substitute that would make plastics shatterproof and lightweight.

But the question comes up as to whether individuals want to take a greater chance than is necessary. (Polycarbonate containers, specifically, is usually marked with a 7 somewhere.) My family has been talking about moving to glass containers and away from plastic entirely, but we've yet to find products other than canning jars that have tops that can fasten down. I'll be doing some research into non-plastic alternatives and will report/review when I have something in hand.

Labels: container, contamination, plastic

As I mentioned in a 10/31/07 review, I've been a Nalgene fan. Now I'm wondering if that entry might not have been an inadvertent Halloween trick. According to the Associated Press, there are some concerns that the chemical composition, BPA, can leech out. Apparently there is no doubt that BPA can mimic hormones; the question is whether the amount that can come off the bottles - or the food containers, I'd have to guess - could cause problems. According to the story, some chains have already dumped BPA-based products, including Nalgene bottles, and there are supposed to be some alternatives. Also, not all Nalgene products are made of BPA. Those on the fence might want to read this:

Citing multiple studies in the United States, Europe and Japan, the chemicals industry maintains that polycarbonate bottles contain little BPA and leach traces considered too low to harm humans.

But critics point to an influx of animal studies linking low doses to a wide variety of ailments — from breast and prostate cancer, obesity and hyperactivity, to miscarriages and other reproductive failures.

An expert panel of 38 academic and government researchers who attended a National Institutes of Health-sponsored conference said in a study in August that "the potential for BPA to impact human health is a concern, and more research is clearly needed."

Fred vom Saal, a professor of biology at the University of Missouri and one of the study's chief authors said the panel reviewed 700 published articles on BPA, practically all published in the last 10 years. Yet U.S. health and environmental regulators "are pretending they're still in the dark," he said.

I certainly don't know one way or the other whether the products could cause problems, but my general approach to such things is not to take unnecessary chances.

Labels: bottle, container, Nalgene

UPDATE: I'm leaving the review below as is, but I came across information suggesting that the plastic Nalgene is made of could cause health problems. Here's a link to the post.

For years, I've been a fan of Nalgene water bottles for hiking. Not only can you depend on the screw-tops of the tough containers staying tight and not leaking in your backpack, but aromas and off-putting flavors from the hard plastic don't leach into the liquid. A quick look on the company's web site shows that it's been in the lab container business for years, and it would follow that having non-reactive containers would be mandatory.

So I was delighted to hear from the company's PR reps that it now has food storage containers. I wouldn't be surprised if they developed out of camping use, and that's fine. I put some water in one, screwed down the top, and kept turning it upside - all stayed dry. The products aren't cheap. For example, a hard plastic 16 ounce jar with screw top will set you back at least $5.50, and a quart container is over $8. However, my experience suggests that the products will last a good long time, and, if need be, you can get replacement caps. I expect these products to get heavy use in our kitchen.

We also got some of the company's tumblers, which have an outer sleeve and inner container. Separating them the first time is pretty hard, and we were sure we were cracking the tumblers, but we weren't. You can use the inner and outer parts as two cups, invert one onto the other for a shaker, or leave them nested to have an insulated cold cup. Unfortunately, the tumblers don't stack well at all, and so storing these is going to be challenging - a pity, as it's a flaw in an otherwise interesting design for home use.

Also, there were two water bottles. One had a Filter For Good label co-branded with Brita. The idea is to encourage the use of filtered water in reusable containers rather than buying bottled water, but there's no filter included, so you might as well buy a filter and any old water bottle. The OTG bottle is pretty cool - there's a built-in sipping cap that closes off to keep from dripping and the shape is appealing and easy to hold.

Furthermore, you can purchase all products at the company's web site with no shipping charges, which is nice for a change in online shopping.

Labels: bottle, container, Nalgene

I dislike exclamation points, and am apt to distrust any product whose packaging and marketing makes liberal use of the punctuation. To see "Revolutionizing the Storage Container!!!" on the cardboard wrapper of the Baker's Sto 'N Go was therefore a bad omen. Luckily, mystical signs have pretty much gone the way of hieromancy. This product is a smart and overdue take on how to convey cookies, brownies, and other snacks from one place to the other. A plastic box comes with adjustable height slide-out shelves. The container, which is compact, can hold a pan of 13x9x2 inch brownies, 32 mini cupcakes, 3 dozen 3-inch cookies, or two 8-inch pies. You could also put sliced meats, cheeses, and other deli items on the shelves. A cover snaps in place over the opening, keeping the foods in and the air out. You can also turn it on end and use the shelves as dividers to hold candies, pretzels, or anything else that will fit. It's dishwasher- and even microwave-safe. When not in use, you can even slip out the carrying handle and store it inside, so it takes up less room. The price is about $20, but if you've ever juggled baking pans or plates wrapped with aluminum foil, this will seem a reasonably modest price. One thing it did leave me wishing for is something slightly larger: It would have been nice to bring two 9-inch pies, as that seems a more common size. That aside, however, if you're sending kids to school with class snacks or donating goods to a bake sale, give this strong consideration.

Labels: bakers, baking, container, opinion, review, Sto 'N Go, storage

There’s a lot to recommend the Premier food container line from Rubbermaid – you can heat them in a microwave, the smooth inside surface doesn’t take on food stains (think tomato sauce) the way many containers do, and it’s absolutely clear, so you can get a better sense of the state of your leftovers.

But I find that I just can’t warm to them. They use a type of plastic that is rigid and hard and the company claims that it won’t crack or warp over time, though it will take longer to see if that’s true. I know it’s an issue of psychological perception, but I can’t help getting over the feeling that they are brittle.

The only semi-malleable part is the top. It does provide a secure lock. Nevertheless, there is a feature of being able to attach the lid to the container’s base for convenient storage that I find rather silly. The rationale is that consumers complain about losing lids, and by attaching the lid to the bottom of the container, you can always find it. Maybe the people at Rubbermaid have cabinets with 3 feet of space between shelves, but everyone I know stores containers one inside the other. You can’t do that with the lids attached – and you’re going to need to detach them when washing, and that’s where they often get separated.

Then there is the issue of the type of plastic and whether it’s safe. I know the FDA claims that all rated food grade plastics are safe, and I know that a number of university researchers have stated that there’s nothing wrong with them. And yet I keep seeing reference to studies that many of the plastics can leach chemicals, particularly if heated. Some of the sites claim that it’s only certain types of the plastics, identified by the number on them. (The Premier line is made of type 7 – often on the warning lists.) Other web pages say that there is no safe plastic.

I come down on the side that safe is better than sorry, so heat foods in glass or ceramic that is designed to withstand microwaves. We’ll use the test Premier containers the company sent for review, but I’m not sure that we’ll make the same choice when it comes time to replace them. They also aren’t cheap, compared to other plastic food containers. The sizes range from 1.25 cups to 14 cups, with prices $2.49 to $8.99.

Labels: container, product, review, Rubbermaid