Grand Magazine - September/October 2008 - (Page 33)

cancer. At a personal level, this means due to their relatively low body weights and immature organ systems, our grandchildren may be the most vulnerable to BPA because endocrine disrupters such as BPA can adversely affect how their bodies grow and develop. On the other side of the fence, chemical-industry • • • • • • folks define recent health-risk criticism relating to BPA as nothing more than “scare stories,” “myths” or “misinformation.” Such advocates for the continued production and use of BPA-containing products are supported by the FDA’s position that all “FDAregulated products containing BPA on the market are safe.” WhAT’s A GRAnd To do? Encourage the mothers of our infant grandchildren to breastfeed when possible. Encourage our grandchildren’s mothers who express their breast milk to use BPA-free breast pumps and bottles for storing their milk. Choose infant formulas packaged in containers that use the least amount of metal lining. Less metal means less BPA exposure. Choose powdered infant formulas instead of concentrated liquid infant formulas, which require dilution, or “ready to serve” types of formulas. Powdered formulas have the lowest detectable levels of BPA. Prepare more of our grandchildren’s foods from scratch—using fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Select juices bottled in glass or BPA-free plastic instead of metal cans. We grands have nothing to lose by taking precautionary measures to the extreme. We’re not alone in trying to make the world safer for our grandchildren. In response to consumer concern, major manufacturers of baby products, such as Playtex and Nalgene, have shifted production to BPA-free products, and retailers such as Wal-Mart and Toys “R” Us have promised to phase out BPA items such as infant bottles by early 2009. Additionally, several states have introduced policy initiatives to phase out or prohibit BPA in consumer products marketed for children, and federal legislation has been introduced. However, the survival of these proposals is uncertain. According to the Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets.org), as of August of 2008, the American Chemistry Council has spent more than $2.2 million lobbying our government on behalf of the chemical industry. While the experts and lawmakers debate, we can take extreme precautionary measures to reduce our grandchildren’s exposure to BPA by using BPA-free alternatives. We can identify the PC plastic stuff we use for our grandchildren—and get rid of it. We should also reduce our grandchildren’s exposure to BPA-type epoxy resins. More to the story: page 68. At this time, essentially all metal food and beverage containers—including infant formula containers—are lined with BPA-epoxy resins. So are the canning lids and caps used for glass canning jars and bottles—this means our grandchildren’s greatest exposure to BPA may be from what they eat and drink. • Throw out (recycle) all polycarbonate plastic infant bottles, sippy cups and pacifiers. Replace these items with safer BPA-free plastic alternatives stamped with recycling codes #1 (PET, PETE), #2 (HDPE) and #4 (LDPE), or choose glass baby bottles. • Replace our grandchildren’s PC plastic dishes and utensils with safer types of plastics—as described above, or with glass and (lead-free) ceramics. • Avoid buying processed foods packaged in hard plastic containers—such as spaghetti snacks for children—unless we’re confident the container is BPA free. • Get rid of our own PC-type plastic sources of BPA, such as food storage containers and water bottles—including the five-gallon containers the water delivery service may bring to our doors. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2008 GRAND 33 http://www.OpenSecrets.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Grand Magazine - September/October 2008

Grand Magazine- September/October 2008 Grand View:�Priceless Contents Isn't it Grand?: Picture Perfect Winners!: GRANDparent of the Year Grand Central Toddler Town:�Grand-proofing Ask Grand:�Two Tired Tips on Teens: The Bar Mitzvah Trips Just So We Know:�BPA Not Our BFF Full House-Full Heart-Full Time:�Confessions of a Backyard Grand Grandbloggers: It Takes a Village Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Family + Food = Fun On the Cover: Nora Roberts A Fine Romance Everything Was Fine Until You Showed Up Happy Big Sister Day Looking Grand:�Elementary, My Dear All in the Family:�Pasta, Present and Future Reunions:�Doubleheader Inspirations:�Grandpa's Violin Grand Bazaar More to the Story Grand Finale:�Long Ago Under the Sun

Grand Magazine - September/October 2008

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