5 'SHOCKING' Facts About Feeding Kids And Plastic - #3 Will Blow Your Mind!
We all want the best for our children. In this rapidly changing and fast paced world it is so tempting to take the easy option when it comes to parenting. Trust me, we are all guilty of taking the path of least resistance. However, one of these easy paths could have a devastating effect on your child's development. What are we talking about? Plastic!
Plastic has become an integral part of our lives, from TV sets, to toys, chairs and more importantly - food and drink containers! Sneaky chemicals can infiltrate foods and beverages at any point, from production to the kitchen table, from the manufacturing floor to the cup or bottle! Here are 5 'SHOCKING' Facts About Feeding Kids Off Plastic!
1. Phthalates and BPA - These chemicals are used to manufacture all sorts of children's food and drink containers. These chemicals have all sorts of hormone disrupting properties when they leach out of containers, which could affect your child's development and create potential fertility issues later in life!
Although many products claim to be BPA free, this chemical is still widely used in a lot of water bottles and plastic containers. Plastic containers that contain phthalates have the number 3 and V or PVC in the recycling symbol. For food storage, your best bet is to use glass, metal, or ceramic containers.
Silicone food bowls and plates are your best bet for feeding young children as they tend not to break and are lighter and more durable than glass or ceramic.
2. Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s) - EDCs are agents that essentially hijack hormones in the body’s endocrine system. In 1992, a study found a global 50% decline in sperm counts in men. Multiple recent studies tracking men from all over the world, showed that there is a 50% to 60% decline in sperm concentration between 1973 and 2011.
These EDCs include phthalates that we mentioned above but also Plasticizers. Plasticizers are found in most plastics – like water bottles and food containers – and exposure is associated with negative impacts on testosterone and semen health.
3. Green Plastic Is Worse than Others (Not Joking) - Watch out for green coloured plastics. Michael Braungart, the German chemist who co-founded the U.S. design consultancy ‘McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry’ states “The color green can never be green (environmentally friendly), because of the way it is made. It’s impossible to dye plastic green or to print green ink on paper without contaminating them.”
This means that green-colored plastic and paper cannot be recycled or composted safely, because they could contaminate everything else. Pigment Green 7, the most popular shade of green used in plastics is an organic pigment but it contains chlorine which can cause cancer and birth defects.
So if you are using plastics, ditch the green!
4. Microwaves Can Degrade The Plastic - The chemicals we spoke about in points 1 and 2 are in the plastic itself. They may be released as the containers are heated in the microwave.
Even if the product is marked as safe for the microwave, the plastic in this container degrades overtime. Best practice is to make sure if using plastic, transfer the food or liquid into a glass or ceramic container and cover with a glass lid, ceramic plate or wax paper to ensure the safest possible cooking in the microwave
5. Don’t forget Your Plastic Food Wraps - It is easy to forget a product we use so often in the household to wrap foods for storage in the refrigerator, cover for the microwave or use to wrap school lunches. Plastic wrap can have the EDCs we were talking about in points 1 and 2.
Time to ditch the plastic wrap and sandwich bags for safer products like wax paper, glass, metal or ceramic
These points aren’t made to scare, but inform you about some of the dangers associated with plastics. Although it is not always easy to ditch all the plastics, perhaps taking a few steps above can at least give you the tools to limit the use. Especially when feeding your young child or reheating foods and drinks. Use glass, ceramic and metal for food storage, invest in silicone plates, bowls and cutlery to feed your child and use wax paper, and other safe storage containers for packing lunches or travel.