Friday, July 1, 2011

Washington Partly Bans BPA - and you can too!

Washington stops the sale of products to kids that contain BPA.
Goodbye, bisphenol-A, better known by your street name, BPA. You were a useful carcinogen for so many years – we microwaved you, froze water in you, drank water out of you, stored our food in you, all while blind to your leaching into our food and drinks. 

Now, the great state of Washington (ChefTools HQ is in Seattle) has banned you ... partly. Beginning today, no one can sell bottles, cups or containers meant for kids under the age of 3 that, uh, contain you, BPA. Next year, you won’t be in sports bottles sold in Washington. 

Unfortunately, BPA is still in most plastic products. It’ll probably be a while before it’s gone from every product, if that’s even possible.It may never go away since studies show that low levels are, apparently, OK in low doses. But as governments start to recognize the dangers of chemicals like BPA, we start down a path to their eradication. 

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been able to drink (especially hot beverages) out of a plastic cup for a couple of years. I swear I can taste the gross, gross chemicals swimming in my drink. I avoid using my plastic spatula, too. 

Take a gander at some of ChefTools’ BPA-free products. We always clearly label our BPA-free items. If you're turned off by plastic entirely, we have plenty of alternatives. Get a ceramic travel mug. They don't leave behind a taste, they're easy to clean, and they hold heat better than anything. Want a sturdy spatula, but don't want it to ding your nonstick pans? Try nylon or silicone. There are plenty of alternatives out there.

While governments work to ban dangerous, non-food safe chemicals, we can do our part by not purchasing products that contain BPA or other harmful chemicals.

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