The Latest on Bisphenol A

Over the past month significant coverage has been devoted to the latest news about bisphenol A and its effects on humans.  Numerous studies have been conducted in the past and advocacy groups have taken stand on one side or the other.  The debate therefore ending with an inconclusive stalemate.  And while I'm late to write on the topic, better late than never.  It has been an issue that I've followed closely over the last couple of year as studies refute studies on a bimonthly basis and written on several times. 

Nalgene, the ubiquitous water bottle manufacturer, has seen the bulk of mentions due to its stance of continued manufacturing until conclusive evidence forced them to rethink there position.  Well, apparently that time has come as the company announced that they will begin a retailer recall of their product, looking to replace the polycarbonate line with a BPA free alternative. 

Two significant actions led to this recall, Health Canada declared that BPA was harmful to humans and further publication validating that BPA had been directly linked to breast cancer and early onset puberty in girls coming from the National Institutes of Health.   

The bottomline on this issue seems to be that of concession as Nalgene decided to go with the times and eliminate products with BPA materials.   It will be interesting to see if Sigg's profits increase in the upcoming months or if Nalgene will be able to get their alternatives in to market quicker than expected.   

While they are the most popular brand for water bottles, they are not alone in using polycarbonate, be cautious when using other plastic containers, especially if you have a baby.  We've just begun phasing away from polycarbonate bottles as my wife as been picking up new ones made of polyethylene bases, which are devoid of the harmful materials.