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This morning, I was going to catch up on Malaysian drama, especially as the hot hits are now playing: sex, courtroom drama, international politics…
Instead, I decided to check up on BPA as my friend (thanks so much, BH!) asked me if I’m using Avent since she’s just got some BPA-free bottles. I was like, “What’s BPA?” And until I found out an answer, I can’t sit or think straight.
I’m glad I devoted my time to research this morning because here’s what I found out:
BPA is Bisphenol-A, a chemical to make clear plastic including baby bottles. It’s now known to be hazardous to human health. After my encounter with dioxins, I was stunned to hear that the pump and bottles containing the breastmilk that’s 100% good for Lucas is actually bad for him!
The trusted brand of AVENT breastfeeding pump and bottles I’ve been using for the past 2.4 years is rated “POOR” among the brands evaluated for BPA (see Z-report below).
Plus, I’d highly recommend the AVENT pump and bottles to many of my friends who have / are becoming new Mums!
Although I’ve tried Medela before, I found the AVENT pump a better performing one, despite the fact that:
a) it can ONLY fit AVENT bottles (not generic-sized bottles)
b) the bottles, teats etc cost a bomb as they are made in the UK
I was *really surprised* at finding out AVENT’s poor ratings but this changed to annoyance when I did a search myself on the Avent website and found NOTHING on BPA or Bisphenol-A. I would have thought they’d at least come out with a media statement like they did in Canada.
When I was back in Malaysia early this year, I was hunting high and low for new teats and bottles and found that AVENT was low on stock. Even their retailers couldn’t explain why!
Incidentally, Avent is now known as Phillps-Avent? One of the retailers showed me that the new bottles no longer had the words “Made in England”. I’m not sure if this is good or bad but I need to find out more about this corporate merger.
What I found is that Philips-Avent has positioned its product line as “Green Products”, which focus on their impact on climate change.
Our Green Products offer customers, users and society a significant environmental improvement in one or more of the Philips Green Focal Areas:
Energy efficient Packaging Hazardous substances Weight Recycling and disposal Lifetime reliability
In the US, AVENT is among the plaintiffs named in a class action lawsuit. The paralegal is also inviting other purchases of these brands to come forward.
In US, AVENT bottles can be returned at ToysRUs or BabiesRUs.
In Canada, FREE BPA-free bottles are given to those who dialled the AVENT toll-free line.
HOW ABOUT US IN MALAYSIA???
1. My AVENT bottles DO NOT have a recycling logo OR plastic recycling number, which mean they contain BPA.
2. I have just bought 3 new 9 oz bottles and 6 new teats - with BPA
3. I am hanging on to my AVENT Isis Manual pump to be used for the next baby, which includes 2 5 oz bottles, which I’m guessing, were made with BPA
I can bet that, with the AVENT Isis’ excellent reputation among breastfeeding mothers, many out there have the same thought as I have:
QUESTION: Can we return all these to AVENT in exchange for BPA-free pumps and bottles (if available)?
I have written to the AVENT Corporate Communications’ team and look forward to receiving a response from them soon.
REFERENCES:
Study warns of baby bottle safety (27 February 2007)
The independent laboratory study was conducted in cooperation with the Environment California Research and Policy Center to test whether bisphenol A, a chemical used to make clear plastic for consumer products, including baby bottles, was released into the liquids the bottles contained, Environment California spokeswoman Rachel Gibson said.
The group tested five popular baby bottle brands — Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex — all five of which leached bisphenol A at levels “found to cause harm in numerous laboratory animal studies,” Gibson said.
According to Gibson, the plastic material in containers breaks down through use and releases bisphenol A into liquids and food..
Bisphenol A has been linked by scientists to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes and hyperactivity, Gibson said.
Gibson said though San Francisco currently prohibits the use of bisphenol A in toys and child care products for children under 3 years old, her group is calling on California and the federal government to eliminate this and other harmful chemicals from products used by children.
Environment California is also calling for required product manufacturer labeling and reforms in chemical manufacturers’ policies.
The group recommends consumers choose glass or “safer-plastic” baby bottles. In addition, the group advises against heating up food or drinks in plastic containers, and using harsh dishwashing soap and hot water, as these practices can speed up the rate of leaching, according to Gibson.
RECYCLING CODES ON PLASTICS (text from WeeklyWay):
#1 & #2 - Most water, soda, juice, milk, and shampoo and soap bottles are made with PET or HDPE plastics. They are widely recyclable and safe as long as they are not reused.
#3 - Vinyl or PVC - Potentially hazardous - they can leach plasticizers and lead. They are also not recyclable.
#4 & #5 - Safe and recyclable - many food storage containers and plastic wraps are made from these two types of plastic.
#6 - Polystyrene - more commonly known by the brand name, Styrofoam. While polystyrene is technically recyclable, it is difficult to recycle and due to its light weight many curbside recycling programs do not accept it. Polystyrene is also potentially hazardous, as it can leach styrene, a known carcinogen.
#7 - PC/PA #7 is the catch-all for the types of plastic that do not fall into the previous 6 categories. Products in this category range from polycarbonate (PC), which is non-biodegradable and potentially hazardous, to the safe and compostable polylactide(PA), which is made from plant materials like corn, and used to produce products like plates, bags, and bottles.
Z Report (3rd edition) on BPA in children’s feeding products
Click on any company name in the listings below to find the BPA status of all children’s feeding products they currently manufacture, as well as recently discontinued items.
Here are some brands you may be familiar with, and their ratings:
“Excellent”
- provide attractive, functional products in at least two product categories or exceptional design in one category, with all mouth-contact products being exclusively BPA-free
- Combi, Medela, Thermos, thinkbaby
“Good”
- provide predominantly BPA-free mouth-contact products and offer at least one recently-designed BPA-free item in each product area they serve.
- IKEA, Tupperware
“Fair”
- may provide excellent products in some categories but produce products in other categories while offering no quality non-polycarbonate option.
- Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, MAM, Munchkin, Nuby, Playtex, Rubbermaid, The First Years, Tommee Tippee
“Poor”
- demonstrate an unwillingness to acknowledge the legitimacy of consumers’ concerns about Bisphenol-A and/or offer few or no BPA-free products
- Avent, Ameda
Biphenol-A (BPA) free.org - videos, news and updates on the fight for BPA-free products
Bisphenol-A is a hormone-disrupting chemical considered to be potentially harmful to human health and the environment. It has been known that scratched and worn polycarbonate feeding bottles will leach this chemical into liquids.
- Related posts:
i got mine from HK, they said it’s safe.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:19 pm
shite… i think my friends are using this for their newborn child!
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Hui Sia - Really? Does it have BPA-free indicated on the packaging?
Zewt - It IS a very established brand. Just hope that they got the BPA-free ones (do check).
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:01 am
I did my research before Belle came along and that was why I opted Medela over Avent. At that time, only Medela indicated their bottles are BPA-free…whereas, the rest didn’t mention anything about it.
I believe the recall is only in UK. I’ve checked; there’s no recall of Avent products in US. I’m also shock that Avent has changed its name and doesn’t label it as “Made in England.”
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
I used Medela + Dr Brown bottles for Bryan but he diden like bottles well. So for Dylan, i got myself an Avent pump, which i prefer over Medela + Avent bottles of coz. My new bottles are Philip Avent and it still does have the Made in England sign. But no indication of BPA free wor… now i am worried!
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:01 am
Pls keep us updated if you hear fr Avent corporate comms
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:04 am
Good article !! it’ll prepare me to choose better bottles and pump, since I’ll start shopping for baby’s equipments this August. Thanks alot =>
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:10 am
Vien - I used Medela before but the pump didn’t work as well as Avent. I don’t think there are any recalls in US.
The irony is that for an organization that’s dedicated to support breastfeeding and the best for baby, it hasn’t showed any interest or action. Wonder if the US class action suit will get it to act…
Shooi - Unless AVENT products is BPA-free, I’m looking for AVENT alternatives now because Lucas is SO used to its teat. Or, I’ve got to wean him off the bottle soon. He doesn’t like either the MAM or Nuby sippy cups I got. I’m so frustrated with AVENT for this. Will update!
Lilis - Yes, make wise choices ya especially as your baby will be using it from a few months until they are about 4 or older! It’s hard for me to get Lucas to switch to another brand now. I’m quite sad over this issue because the AVENT pump is really good.
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:39 am
ok..this is third attempt in writing comments…….pls go thru!!!!!
i used both medela n avent. i guess….errr…..since my elder two kids r still alright…and functioning well………… *touch wood*, eye-no-see???!!!
hahahahaahah…ah well. But Medela is much better than Avent, I feel.
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Eiks!!!!! I’ve just started Darrius on Avent as he wants to have the same bottle as his cousin (my brother’s kid)!!!!
I got mine from US (from Vien) and I still see the ‘Made in England’ tag on the bottle. I left the box in my mom’s place so I can’t read what is printed on the box.
Currently I am using both Tupperwear and Avent bottles but I’m using Pigeon teats for the Tupperwear as I have not/lazy to go get the original Tupperwear teats for replacement.
Kindly keep us updated on this…
At the meantime I shall stop Darrius from using the Avent bottle.
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Mott - Sorry for the comment form error messages. It’s THE template! I get them too commenting on my own blog
A bit frustrated here as it looks like I’ve got to change templates AGAIN. Yikes, folks are REALLY gonna think I’m schizophrenic…
I really hope that as a socially-responsible organization, Philips-AVENT will respond with regards to this. If not, I am going to do my best to switch…
Angeleyes - Oh, no…poor Darrius. That’s the thing - AVENT is SO popular in Malaysia because of our historical ties with the UK! Plus, the pump enjoys excellent reviews among Mums etc, myself included.
By the way, the “Made in England” note is not an indicator. What’s at stake here is the lack of disclosure on whether BPA is used in the production of the plastic parts. The brands rated “Excellent” and “Good” are doing well in informing consumers this.
July 4th, 2008 at 7:38 am
i am using AVENT bottles too but it does not indicate in the bottle if it is no. 7, it is safe to use it or not?
I am so much disappointed with the AVENT Company, there bottles are so expensive and i cannot afford to buy another bottles for my baby..
July 8th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Thanks for you information kittycat, I read somewhere before that they are not sure about BPA contains in AVENT bottle, and then they said EVENT is BPA free but today, after reading this topic and i read more on the internet, I am sure and definitely to stop using AVENT bottle for my son.. but I gave my AVENT pump to my friend already.. Oh no.. I should inform her as well…
btw, this is my first visit here, and your blog is “cool” and full of infos.. I’ll stop by again soon!
July 8th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Gina - As far as I know, no recycling or plastic codes are etched on AVENT bottles. I know how you feel about changing to another set of new bottles. That’s exactly how I feel!
Taty - Have you read the post on AVENT’s media statement? It’s very clear now that the current range of AVENT bottles are not BPA-free. The BPA-free range will only be launched end of 2008.
Thanks for visiting. You know I’ll go back to your blog again too!
July 10th, 2008 at 12:40 am
KittyCat, thanks for the great post. My wife and I also started up a BPA awareness website. We were actually vacationing in Malaysia earlier this year, looking for BPA-free bottles at some of the popular joints — BabyJaya (a great place), Mothercare, etc. We were surprised that some of our friends there hadn’t heard of BPA or the trend toward BPA free products. It’s good to see that more people are getting the word out. Also sorry to hear about your experience with Avent - once we read about the BPA problems, we switched to Medela bottles & pump equipment, and we’ve been very happy with those.
Some interesting news came out recently on the effects of BPA on adults. Some recent studies have shown a link to heart disease, liver problems, and diabetes. Scary stuff! You can read more at our blog.
October 4th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Avent already launched BPA-free milk bottle in US and by end year will be in UK. Wondering when they’ll make the BPA-free bottle available in Malaysia…
October 9th, 2008 at 10:07 am