Last week wrought another crack in the veneer of “safe plastics”as research showing that newer BPA-free plastics are prone to “estrogenic activity” made the national news.
Needless to say this news unleashed a new wave of angst among consumers searching for safe and affordable storage containers for food & beverages. I was among them. I had given up my old polycarbonate bottles when I learned that they were leaching the endrocrine disrupting compound BPA. After struggling to find acceptable substitutes–especially for my kids–I was relieved when companies began to come out with BPA-free plastic bottles and cups with the same strength and resilience as the old BPA-laden ones. For the past two years my son has been carrying his water to school in a BPA-free Camel Bak. Not anymore.
It wasn’t long after the research made national news that the frustrated emails from clients and students started to come in. “I switched all my plastic baby bottles and sippy cups to BPA-free ones,” wrote one mom and participant in a Green Parenting Class Series. “Now what should I do?” The short answer is: seek out alternatives that are generally recognized to be safe. Right now my list of materials that are generally recognized to be safe for food and beverage storage includes the following:
- Plastics labeled with the numbers 2, 4, or 5.
- Stainless steel
- Glass
That’s it.
I’m frustrated about having to winnow down my list of plastic containers that are safe for food storage, but that is just what this new research has led me to do. Unfortunately this isn’t the first time this has happened (studies showing leaching of estrogenic compounds from #1 plastic have led me to take this off my list of safe plastic containers as well). Nor do I expect it to be the last, at least not until chemical companies are required to show that the compounds they produce do not have untoward health consequences when used as intended.
There are efforts underway at both the state and federal levels to reform chemical policy to require pre-market testing and enhance the powers of regulatory agencies to protect consumers. But at the federal level at least, the prospects for comprehensive reform look grim.
The good news is that advances in green chemistry mean that the day when it is technologically feasible to mass produce plastics that are safe for food storage may not so far off: a recent study in Environmental Health Perspectives concludes that there are alternative “monomers, additives [and] processing agents that have no detectable EA and similar costs.” The question is: How do we make the possible real? How do we transform the promise of green chemistry into the reality of truly safe (i.e., proven safe) products?
For most consumers our role in this transformation is twofold:
And, in the meantime, don’t be surprised if my list of plastics that are safe for food storage continues to get smaller.
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When I was a newbie shareholder at Newton Community Farm I would often come home overwhelmed by both the amount and variety of produce in my weekly share. What on earth was I going to do with daikon radish or kohlrabi? And how was I going to manage to go through 2 huge bunches of kale in one week? Of course there were some items–lettuce, cukes and tomatoes come to mind–that I couldn’t get enough of. But there were many others that languished on my counter or in my fridge. That first season there were several items that never made it to our table. I find it somewhat comforting to know that they at least went in our compost bin, as opposed to the trash.
Fortunately I’ve learned a lot since then. Most weeks it isn’t hard to eat through our weekly share (although I still have the purslane from a couple of weeks ago; believe it or not it’s still looking fresh in the green bag I stored it in). We eat LOTS more veggies in the summer that we used to, which is a good thing.
I’ve also become familiar with lots of produce that I had never really cooked with before. I’ve tried lots of new recipes. And I’ve learned to experiment and “make do” with what I have on hand. Although it doesn’t really feel like making do. It’s more fun than that. When I leave the farm now with an unfamiliar veggie I look forward to the challenge of figuring out what to do with it. And since I also visit my farmer’s market, I get a chance to supplement and round out my CSA share.
Last night, as I was looking ahead to today’s weekly pick up, I scanned my produce bin to see what remained from the week before: 2 zucchini, a big bunch of scallions, green garlic, purslane, beets and lettuce. Well I know we couldn’t eat all of that in one meal, so I vowed to use what I could. The result: zucchini, scallion and potato (picked up at the farmer’s 
market) curry. I googled a recipe for zucchini curry to use as a base and 45 minutes later–voila, dinner was ready!
Now if only I could figure out what to do with the purslane…
CSA Curry
Ingredients
2-3 Tbs olive oil
2 zucchini (or squash, cauliflower, eggplant, etc), washed and cut into small cubes
2-3 medium to large potatoes, washed and cubed
bunch of scallions (or onions), cut into approx. 1 inch long pieces
handful of wax beans (or green beans, peppers, carrots, etc.), cut in half3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 Tbs. ginger, minced
1 Tbs. curry powder
pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth
handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of cashews, coarsely chopped
Directions
Saute potatoes over medium heat in olive oil for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add zucchini and saute for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove potatoes and zucchini to plate.
Add scallions and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, & cayenne and stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant
Return potatoes and zucchini to skillet and add vegetable or chicken broth.
Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer .
Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
Serve with cilantro and cashews sprinkled on top
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Natick Community Organic Farm participates in Natick's Winter Market
Winter farmer’s markets are a growing trend, but what about spring markets? At least in my neck of the woods (Boston), many off-season markets close up in March (this includes the Natick and Wayland winter markets). So while I was happily munching locally grown lettuce in February, the past few months I’ve had to make due with organic lettuce from California (courtesy of Whole Foods).
As interest in local food continues to grow, I suspect that many off-season markets will continue straight on through until the “regular” farmer’s market season starts up in June or July. But in the meantime, how are we localvores going to satisfy our hunger for fresh, local fare?
In my area (Brookline-Newton-Needham) there are a few places where you can find local produce in the spring including:
- Allandale Farm in Brookline is selling produce at its farm stand. Today when I called they had rhubarb, kale, scallions and spring garlic.
- The Dedham Square Country Store is not so much a store as a traditional farmer’s market that sells local fare (much more than produce) every Sunday from 10-2. I have yet to visit this market but hope to soon (If you have visited, please share your comments) .
- Newton Community Farm is scheduled to open its farm stand this Sunday, May 16th.
- Stillman’s Farm located in New Braintree sells produce as it becomes available in Jamaica Plain (Bank of America parking lot, 677 Centre Street) on Saturdays from 12-3. Contact Stillmans for more information about availability and schedule. Stillmans also sells locally, sustainably raised meat as well.
If you live elsewhere in Massachusetts, Rhode Island or Connecticut, visit Farm Fresh to find farmers markets, farm stands, etc. in your neck of the woods (hint: click on your region in the map in the upper right hand corner to find farms close to you). Farm Fresh is a fantastic resource: you can search not only by location but also by food. It also contains lists of local food artisans and restaurants, retailers and caterers that source locally. For those of you who live outside this region there is a similar national directory called Local Harvest, although I have found that it isn’t always current.
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The internet is rife with resources for consumers who want to make green & healthy food choices. Online databases and directories help us choose everything from safe seafood to organic produce to locally sourced products. But how do you make use of these recommendations when you’re out shopping? Unless you make copies or devote yourself to memorization, online resources are of limited use.
If you have an Iphone though, you needn’t bother with copies or memorization. Many of the best online green & healthy food recommendations are now literally at your fingertips:
Food News
The Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Produce application lists the fruits and vegetables with the most and least pesticide residue, helping you decide when to choose organic, and when conventional is OK.
Don’t Eat That
Most people do not know what propyl gallate or butylated hdroxyanisole are, let alone whether there are any health risks associated with them. Even people (like me) who’ve researched food additives have trouble remembering which to avoid when they’re at the store. Don’t Eat That allows you to look up ingredients on the spot and avoid unsafe or questionable additives in your food.
Seafood Watch
Many fish species are being harvested to the point of extinction, others are laden with industrial contaminants. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch provides region specific recommendations for seafood (including sushi).
Locavore
In order to eat local you need to know what’s in season near you and where to find it. Locavore does both, telling you what is growing now and where to find it. It also links you directly to epicurious recipes, so once you get home with your kohlrabi you’ll know what to do with it!
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It seems that everywhere we go our kids are being tempted by–even bombarded with–opportunities to consume excessive amounts of sweeteners, salt and bad fats (partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oil). Unfortunately sweeteners, salt and bad fat aren’t the only things we need to watch out for in junk food. There are a host of chemicals added to processed food–either to extend shelf life, to “enhance” flavor or to make the food more visually appealing–that make them even more unhealthy. For example, several chemical food dyes have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
The best way to reduce your intake of chemical additives is to eat as much whole food as possible, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. And make sure you read the ingredient lists of all processed food you buy–the shorter the list, and the more ingredients you recognize on it, the better. Finally, check out the report, “Chem Cuisine,” published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and try to avoid additives considered to be unsafe.
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You’ve transitioned to BPA-free baby bottles and water bottles. But did you know that canned food liners also contain BPA? Last year, Globe and Mail tests of canned food revealed disconcerting results: BPA concentrations in tomato sauce were 18.2 parts per billion, 6.2 ppb in kid’s ravoli, and 14.1 ppb in tomato juice. These numbers may not seem high, but scientists are concerned that concentrations of even 1/2 part per trillion may be enough for this estrogen-like chemical to disrupt our endocrine system–the effects of which are not pretty. BPA exposure has been linked to many different diseases including breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (to name just a few). And scientists continue to discover more health impacts all the time .
What is a consumer to do? As a green lifestyle consultant my advice (and my own practice) is to choose fresh, dried, and frozen food over canned food (for example, I soak my own beans whenever I can). When I do need to buy preserved food, I either choose canned food from Eden Foods and Trader Joes, which use BPA-free can liners or I choose food preserved in glass jars (although food preserved in glass jars may also be tainted with BPA that has migrated from their metal lids, albeit at much lower levels).
Clearly we consumers will not be able to solve this problem by simply “voting with our pocketbooks”–although this is certainly an important and powerful tool. We need our government to at the very least regulate BPA, and ideally ban it (which Japan has done) rather than continue to regurgitate industry greenwashing (click here to read the FDA’s position on BPA).
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Local food–it’s a big phenomenon these days. Farmers markets are springing up everywhere; CSAs are overwhelmed with interest; urban homesteading is on the rise. Hopefully this isn’t all just a passing fad as there are many advantages to eating local:
- unlike large, industrial farms, small farms generally practice crop rotation, which mitigates the need for chemical fertilizers and helps to maintain the health of the soil,
- locally grown and raised food often uses less energy for distribution than does food produced far away
- locally grown fruits and vegetables are fresher and may have higher nutritional content as a result (there’s a study underway to test this hypothesis)
So eat your fruits and veggies–and buy them from local growers (to read about the benefits of eating locally, click here; to find local food sources near you, click here and here).
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Do you ever think about how much trash is generated by the ziploc baggies and poland spring waters we send our children to school with each day? There are greener, healthier alternatives. Instead of plastic baggies, use washable, plastic containers. According to The Green Guide, any plastic container with the numbers 2, 4, or 5 on the bottom is safe to use for food. Instead of disposable water bottles, use sturdy reusable ones, like the aluminum Sigg, the Stainless Steel Klean Kanteen, or a safe, reusable plastic bottle (look for a bottle with the numbers 2, 4, or 5 on the bottom; if the bottle has a 7 on it, make sure it is also labeled BPA-free). Reusable bags is a fantastic website that sells lots of safe, reusable lunch systems and water bottles.
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Buying organic seems like a no-brainer: who wants to eat food grown with potentially harmful synthetic chemicals? But organic food sometimes isn’t available or affordable. When organic isn’t an option, look for fruits and vegetables that have low pesticide levels, like bananas, peas and corn, and avoid those that don’t, like apples, peppers and grapes.
Hungry for more? Check out Food News, the Environmental Working Group’s smart produce shopping guide.
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If you’ve been following BPA stories (for example: this one and this one), you have probably stopped drinking and eating out of polycarbonate plastic. Unfortunately, polycarbonate isn’t the only plastic that has been shown to leach potentially harmful chemicals into food and drinks. When buying reusable plastic containers, look for those labeled with the numbers 2, 4 or a 5 on the bottom. Plastic labeled with a 1 is considered safe for single-use only. Check out the green guide for more information on plastic safety.
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[...] woman. You’ve heard about BPAs, right? Well, I recently read that even BPA-free plastic has problems. ● They don’t work well for storage. These bags don’t breathe and they don’t [...]
Pingback by Blue Lotus Bags Review : Allison's Gourmet Blog — June 24, 2011 @ 11:34 am
The various research done on BPA does prove one thing: that continuous exposure to it can be harmful to health. So it is better to make sure that all plastic products one uses are BPA free.
Nowadays, one can easily find products like BPA free water and milk bottles, baby bottles, lunch boxes, containers, products for ones microwave, freezer or refrigerator, and even BPA free toys. So protect your health and that of your near and dear ones by using only BPA free products.
Comment by Bpa Free — November 6, 2011 @ 9:54 am