According to a new analysis, plastic products marketed for infants or labeled “microwave safe” (including those stamped with “safe” plastic numbers 1, 2, and 5) leached out potentially toxic levels of a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) when heated in a microwave. BPA is an endocrine disruptor, meaning that it mimics or interferes with human hormones; endocrine disruptors have been linked to reproductive, neural, immune, and developmental abnormalities. BPA exposure has also been found to correlate with obesity, heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, and blood abnormalities in liver function tests in adults.
According to the analysis:
The amounts detected were at levels that scientists have found cause neurological and developmental damage in laboratory animals. The problems include genital defects, behavioral changes and abnormal development of mammary glands. The changes to the mammary glands were identical to those observed in women at higher risk for breast cancer.
The newspaper’s test results raise new questions about the chemical and the safety of an entire inventory of plastic products labeled as “microwave safe.” BPA is a key ingredient in common household plastics, including baby bottles and storage containers. It has been found in 93% of Americans tested.
The newspaper tests also revealed that BPA, commonly thought to be found only in hard, clear plastic and in the lining of metal food cans, is present in frozen food trays, microwaveable soup containers and plastic baby food packaging.
The highest level of leaching was found in a container of Enfamil liquid baby formula and a Rubbermaid storage container.
Who did this important analysis? Not the FDA—the government agency responsible for making sure the foods and drugs we consume are safe. They think BPA is fine for human consumption—a finding that earned the agency a strong rebuke from a panel of independent scientists earlier this year. No, the analysis was done by two investigative journalists for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Although the FDA is “reevaluating” its declaration that BPA is harmless, it’s unlikely much will happen under the current administration—just another reason to hope that Obama replaces the heads of our regulatory agencies with people who actually care about regulating industry, not just coddling it.
You shouldn’t ever microwave ANYTHING in plastic. Better yet, don’t microwave anything, period.
I love that Fnarf is soooooooo much better than the rest of us!
Jesus. I stopped microwaving plastic after the whole thing about BPA came out a year or two ago (which also coincided with when I gave up Lean Cuisine-type lunches, which have plastic trays). But, before then? I did it all the time – leftovers in Tupperware, frozen meals, etc. I guess I’m glad I know about this now before I have kids.
THE FREE MARKET WORKS!
I replaced my microwave oven two years ago with a Black and Decker convection oven I bought at Wal*Mart for $59.
There is nothing good about microwave ovens, or microwave food. It basically “cooks” by boiling the water inside the cells which also breaks the cell walls and often turns the biomass into undigestable stuff.
gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhrhrhrhhrhrhrrrgggg this is the same ingredient everyone was freaking out about with nalgene bottles. i worked at an outdoors store this summer and had to explain to more hippies and moms than i’d care to remember how the old nalgene plastic leached tiny amounts of a previously-unknown chemical to lab mice but the *neeeeeew* nalgene plastic was magical and contained no bpa and they should buy it. I’m a double major in chem and bio and going into the industry soon and i would like to officially declare from now until ever: EVERYTHING YOU USE FOR ANYTHING ON A REGULAR BASIS LEAKS SMALL AMOUNTS OF CARCINOGENIC SOMETHING INTO LAB MICE. FUCKING CHILL. The only reason anyone has even heard of bpa is because it was on fucking oprah, before she flipped her lid nobody gave a shit. I gaurenfuckingtee you whatever magical new plastic they come up with next will be found five years after that to leach something that could possibly be carcinogenic to lab rats.
We don’t yet know how cancer works and we’re not going to for awhile. Everything in your refrigerator, your car, your workplace, and your dishwasher right now contains some polymer that has been synthesized in the last 10 years and we don’t yet know its full effects. Either go live off the grid in an yurt and eat shit you find in the woods or CHILL THE FUCK OUT. Worrying about every new “finding” is not useful.
Huh? John Bailo & Fnarf agree on something.
You’re not supposed to warm formula or or breastmilk in a microwave anyway. It overheats some areas, damaging the food and potentially burning the baby’s mouth. Bottle warmers cost like $9.95 at Target and are just as fast as nuking it.
The instructions on any brand of formula, and at any breastmilk pumping website tell you not to use a microwave. RTFM?
Of course, I’m forgetting “THINK OF THE CHILDREN”, the sensationalistic journalist’s first rule.
I guess now we know where all those Capitol Hill Emo kids are coming from.
Fnarf is right.
Best choice is always Corning Glass cookware.
But, having done the formula thing to supplement breast milk for a small infant, it’s real keen that we here who don’t have small infants are saying you shouldn’t use the microwave to heat up the formula or breastmilk, but the sleep-deprived parents are probably going to do it anyway.
Who wrote this post? The sensationalistic Erica C. Barnett! Histironics are your strong point baby. God love ya!
But this is old news, and Jo Spot @6 is totally right on!
And, but, also there are cancer causing chemicals in jus’ about everything you eat on a daily basis. Get over it already!
It’s good of you to notice, KeeKee, but the truth is, I’m not better than everybody. I’m just better than you.
@10:
Fnarf is right?
I’d like to know: just how many of you out there, don’ ever use a microwave?
Yes, Fnarf I concede. Your superior tastes in musics & culture proves your point.
@10
Will, please shut up.
@14, don’t bring up his love of the monkees. He’ll write novels about how great the session musicians that were playing the music for the “band members” were. and that in itself is why they are greater than any other band from the era. period.
is there any epidemiologic data to support the hysteria? because what happens to lab rats in a controlled environment does not always reflect what happens to humans in the real world. it’s a safe assumption that pretty much everything you come in contact with every day could give you cancer, so if you want to panic about something, panic about everything. anything could kill you.
I’m not “panicking” about BPA. But, I sort of think about it the whole “everything is bad for you thing” in a different way… If there are things I can control that will reduce my exposure to “bad things”, then why not do it? And not microwaving leftovers in tupperware containers is a pretty easy thing for me to do. While, say, living off the grid in a yurt is not.
Oh sure, inflame the Yurtosphere. Good one.
@16, it’s all about the songwriting.
There is limited epidemiological data for BPA itself, but extensive in-vivo data for effects on mice and other mammals. It’s hard to just look at BPA effects on a population because it is so pervasive. More research definitely needs to be done; especially BPA effects on development of the reproductive structures and processes in children and infants. Frederick Von Saal has done a lot of research on BPA, if anyone is interested.
@6. Yes, you are probably right. But heating up any form of plastic is probably a bad thing.
Anyone here check the interior wall of your “paper” to-go coffee cup lately? Happen to know what type of plastic that is?
@6, 8, 11, 17, 18, 21.
As we know, and as logic tells us, small childrens’ systems are extra-vulnerable to the poisons around us. So it would seem to make sense that since Infants and Children can’t make careful decisions for themselves, it is up to us to take all information into account and make sensible decisions for them:
1. Don’t drop baby on it’s head, as it will cause long-term dain bramage.
2. Don’t feed baby endocrine disruptors, as it will likely cause weird systemic problems in the future.
It’s not histrionics, its sensible intelligence.
Duh.
Simple rule in my kitchen: Don’t use plastic. For anything. Ever.
Anyway, plastic looks cheap. My old-growth mahogany bowls with inlaid elephant-tusk ivory are much prettier.
@15 – after you.
These chemicals are being banned on the basis of sound science in Canada and other nations are following suit. While they may not do much to harm an adult, infant phsyiology being what it is, delivering large doses of endocrine disrupters to children is just not a good idea.
I don’t have a microwave either. Leftovers heat quite nicely in a Vietnamese claypot.
You know, Will, even parents who aren’t sophisticated enough to have traveled in Europe are smart enough to read a label. And to go to bed earlier if they are feeling sleep deprived. And since a bottle warmer takes the same amount of time as a microwave, then can you tell what part of what you said is not nonsense?
“BPA exposure has also been found to correlate with obesity, heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, and blood abnormalities in liver function tests in adults.”
Finally, a reason why obese people are obese. Microwave plastic. Thank god. I was sure it had to do with eating too much and not exercising. The plastic! It was the plastic all along…
Last time I dealt with baby bottle warming up and such on a regular basis, it was already common knowledge that you never warmed up bottles in the microwave. This is just one more reason, not something revolutionary.
@13
I don’t use a microwave. My apartment came with one, and I put it on top of my fridge and haven’t touched it since. Anybody want it?
But it’s not because I think microwaves are evil. Some nutrients are disproportionately damaged by microwaves. Some are actually spared by microwaves. Everything in moderation. I just don’t find them to be any more convenient than using my (gas) stove. And they take up space, which I’m short on.
As for BPA. . . well. . . can we just assume that, if it’s not food, it’s probably preferable to not eat it? But if we don’t eat too much of it, it proooobably won’t kill us? Kthx.
And will this stop the stupid parents who go out with the baby and expect everyone to jump to their aid every time they need their plastic baby bottles heated up? Probably not.