Toxin AlertsProtecting You and Your FamilyThe number of toxic chemicals in our environment, our food, our clothes, and our children's toys is enough to make anyone want to run screaming for the hills. Most of us deal with these hidden dangers by pretending they don't exist, or that we can't do anything about it, so we just stay in denial. I will be adding information to this page as I become aware of toxin alerts - especially recalls of children's toys. Good mental health begins with conception. The foods we consume and the toxins we are exposed to influence our children starting before birth. A large percentage of toxins to which we are commonly exposed are neurotoxins - that is - they are toxic to the brain and nervous system and can cause depression, trigger bipolar disorder, other mental disorders, developmental disorders and learning problems, as well as cancer and many other debilitating conditions. Lead is only one of these common neurotoxins (there are hundreds).
Keep BPA out of food and beverage containers! "You wouldn’t intentionally put yourself or your family in harm’s way. But every time you eat canned food or drink from certain plastic containers, you may be unwittingly exposing yourself to a chemical linked to breast and prostate cancers, diabetes and heart disease. This chemical, known as Bisphenol A or BPA for short, is found in can liners and some clear plastics, where it can leach into food and beverages -- and then into your system. Canada and some U.S. cities and states recently restricted its use in children’s food and beverage containers because of the potential health effects. Now, a new Consumer Reports investigation has found the chemical in all 19 brand-name foods we tested. One serving of the highest levels detected (found in canned green beans) would expose a small child to levels near or above those shown to cause harm in animal studies. And just one or a few servings of any cans we tested would exceed our level of harm. The safety standard used for BPA exposure is more than 20 years old. Since then, hundreds of studies have shown potentially dangerous health effects at levels dramatically lower than the current government safety limit. BPA mimics the female hormone estrogen, and has been linked to numerous health problems, including increased cancer risk. Pregnant women, babies and toddlers are especially vulnerable, and BPA can be found in many baby bottles, sippy cups and infant formula cans. Food and beverage containers are available that don't seem to contain this chemical, and fresh food is also an alternative, so there is no good reason to put ourselves and our families at unnecessary risk. But most of the giant chemical companies are fighting this ban tooth and nail – BPA is one of the top produced chemicals in the world." The best thing you can do right now to protect your family's health, is to avoid canned foods, eat more fresh vegetables, living foods, and local produce, and avoid plastic baby bottles and water containers. You can make your voice heard by signing this petition to the FDA: FDA: Ban the use of BPA is food and beverage containers! April 28, 2008 "Artificial Sweetener Raises Lifelong Concerns Long-term use of aspartame-sweetened sodas and candy may risk brain function/development and accelerate aging" (article source: vitalchoice.com) For 20 years and more, doubts about aspartame – sold as Equal or NutraSweet – have lingered despite repeated affirmations of its safety by U.S. and EU health authorities. In 1995, FDA Epidemiology Branch Chief Thomas Wilcox reported that aspartame complaints represented 75 percent of all reports of adverse reactions to substances in the food supply from 1981 to 1995... Previous studies have found that aspartame can induce neurological and behavioral disturbances in some people, with symptoms that include headaches, insomnia and seizures. These effects appear related to changes in brain concentrations of amino acids, neurotransmitters, and hormones such as norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine. And the new findings suggest that aspartame could be responsible for more subtle, long-term problems with brain function... TOXIC PLASTIC IN ALL MAJOR BRANDS OF BABY BOTTLES! [April 19, 2008] After years of concern about the safety of baby bottles, children's care products, and other food and beverage containers which contain the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), the verdict is in--and it's not good. Yesterday the Canadian government announced it is planning to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles, and declared BPA dangerous.[1] And, earlier this week, the Los Angeles Times reported that the U.S. based National Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded that there is "some concern" that babies, fetuses, and children are in danger because BPA harms animals at the low levels found in nearly all human bodies.[2] Sadly, a recent study found this chemical in all five leading brands of American baby bottles. Let's take a second to take a collective deep breath, and then mobilize for major action. Sign a petition calling for the CEOs of the leading manufacturers of baby bottles to stop the use of BPA in our baby bottles and other children's products. WHAT DOES BPA DO? Growing children are especially at risk to chemicals as they face greater exposure per pound of body weight. Even fetuses are susceptible as chemicals, including BPA, cross the placenta in pregnant women. Over 130 studies suggest that BPA exposure, even at low doses, is linked to many health problems, including early puberty, breast and prostate cancer, obesity, attention and hyperactivity disorder, brain damage, altered immune system, and lower sperm counts.[3] This is a widespread issue which we need to address together. A 2007 study by the Environment California Research and Policy Center found that all five leading brands of baby bottles leached BPA at levels found to cause harm in numerous laboratory studies.[4] Your action can make a difference! Sign the petition below, and voice your opposition to the CEOs of Avent, Disney/First Years, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber, and Playtex in collaboration with Center for Health, Environment, & Justice and other organizations. The more signatures, we have, the more these companies will get the message that consumers demand healthy, toxin-free products. With the current media attention on BPA, this is a critical moment to take advantage of that momentum and push these company leaders to stop using it in baby bottles. *Click to sign the petition now. (Info Source: the MomsRising Team) For tips on how to limit exposure to BPA, see: [1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/04/18/ST2008041803545.html [2] http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-na-plastic16apr16,1,498138.story [3] http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/environmental-health/stop-toxic-toys/bisphenol-a-overview [4] http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports/environmental-health/environmental-health-reports/toxic-baby-bottles Ben's Opinion:This story really sickens me. I stopped using the popular Nalgene water bottles about two years ago, because there was information suggesting that the plastic leached toxic chemicals into the water. It has taken a full two years for an "official" investigation and ban to be set in motion. All of those babies born and raised on these bottles for the past two years, have been needlessly exposed to this toxin. My family quit using canned goods a few months ago - for the same reason - most food cans are lined with BPA. We've found only one company - Eden Foods - that uses an alternative (even though it costs them more money - to line their cans. The bottom line is this -- trust your instincts. If you hear of some information about the potential for toxicity in a product you and your family use, then use an alternative. Just because the FDA or the EPA, and the companies themselves swear up and down that "there is no conclusive evidence suggesting that this product is harmful to humans..." When you hear that sort of defensive statement -- always be suspicious, because more than likely, 2 years, or five years later they'll find "new evidence," and the consumers -- and our children -- will have to suffer the consequences. [Winter 2007-2008] Recently, the popular Thomas Train toys recalled a certain batch of their products that contained lead. My two year old nephew had one in his mouth that very day. Fortunately his parents threw them all out immediately. These products are often made in foreign countries -- China is notorious for corruption and cover-ups in the toxic ingredients contained in the products we so readily buy from them at such wonderfully low prices. (Just to clarify -- NOT all Thomas Train products supposedly contain lead -- but then -- just how are we supposed to trust that?) Today I became aware of a recall of 967,000 Fisher-Price toys. Dozens of Elmo toys and other Sesame Street toys, as well as Dora the Explorer toys we identified as containing lead in the surface paint. And where were they made? China of course. Not to unfairly criticize China. The U.S. produces more than it's share of toxins and readily subjects us to them on a daily basis. This alert was released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. For the full report of the Fisher-Price Recall visit:
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 916-4498 Other websites with updates on toxic toys and other products:
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