Suspicions are confirmed on bisphenol A (BPA). While the manufacture and sale of baby bottles containing this synthetic product have been banned in the European Union since June 1, health authorities are once again warning against its dangers. BPA is accused of being an endocrine disruptor which would promote infertility, overweight, cardiovascular pathologies and diabetes.
Faced with this observation, the agency sets as its number one objective the protection of populations at risk: infants, young children, pregnant women or nursing mothers. In particular, it calls for the labeling of all products containing bisphenol A. And urges manufacturers to identify, by the end of the year, substitutes for products currently being blamed. And the list goes on: food packaging, household appliances, CDs, DVDs, sporting goods …
Recommendations to protect yourself
It is preferable to use bottles or any other recyclable paper item with the code 7 inscribed inside an arrow triangle, unless it says “guaranteed bisphenol A free”.
-We prefer glass bottles, or in other materials (polyethylene, code 1 and 2, or polypropylene, code 5). “It is more judicious to choose [les plastiques alimentaires] containing on the packaging the codes 1, 2, 4 or 5 notified in a small triangle, corroborates Dr Laurent Chevallier, consultant doctor in nutrition attached to the Montpellier University Hospital. They are the safest vis-à-vis the various endocrine disruptors, which include several substances, including bisphenol A, but also phthalates … ”
-If the code is not specified, opaque plastic objects are chosen, because only transparent plastics contain BPA.
– We ban polycarbonate, this plastic material. When in doubt, avoid heating any plastic material in your microwave oven. Glass and ceramic are preferred.
-We also avoid preparations for children in cans, their walls also contain BPA.
