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Planet Green - The Environmenatlly Friendy Bottled Water

2010-03-03T22:28:00Z

The newest entry into the world of "Green" bottled water products is "Planet Green". What makes it green is it's bottle. It is made entirely of

plant material, including corn. The bottle is 100% biodegradable, as long as it is returned to the manufacturer for special composting.

The water itself is highly purified using a process very similar to Smartwater. Filtration, deionization, reverse osmosis, vapor distillation and ozonation. Then minerals are added for taste. I wonder if Planet Green makes you as smart as Smartwater does?

The bottlers want you to be real smart and stop buying water packaged in petroleum based plastic bottles. They say that by drinking their water you will help reduce global warming, carbon emissions and our dependency on oil.

Green Planet is now available on-line at bottledwaterstore.com .

Custom Label Bottled Water Review

2010-01-15T15:58:00Z

Custom label bottled water is a very popular form of advertising. Many companies, large and small find that custom label bottled water is an inexpensive way to advertise their company and their products. The average cost of a custom labels bottle of water is approximately $0.40. Compare this to other advertising specialty products and you will see that the cost is actually quite low. A distinct advantage is that in additional to incorporating a company logo, which is all that is allowed on many ad specialty items like pens, letter openers, tape measures, bottle labels can have all kinds of text messages. Astute marketer can include on their labels telephone numbers, addresses, web sites, promotional messages and much more.

But customizing bottled water is not just for business. Churches and other faith based groups utilize their own private labeled bottled water to announce services and spread the word of the lord. Other non-profit groups such as baseball leagues, soccer leagues, cheer leading organizations, schools, use this ad medium for fund raising. And civic groups such as towns and cities customize bottled water labels with messages to promote causes of interest.

Custom label bottled water is a cost efficient means for marketing and promotion.

Fact: Drinking "Smartwater" Does Make You Smart

2009-12-16T16:46:00Z

New bottled water products are launched all the time. There are probably two dozen a year. Sadly, or luckily,depending on the product, most of these fail or disappear within months. But there is one product became highly successful but has won the hearts and minds of the American bottled water consumer. That product is Glaceau "Smartwater".

Smartwater was launched approximately 5 years ago along with Glaceau's other successful product line of Vitamin waters. But Smartwater is the purified water product with added electrolytes (calcium and magnesium additives) that promises to make you smart if you drink it. How can you go wrong with a promise like that. And thousands over the years have accepted the challenge.

The original bottles included a "Genius" meter printed on the side of the bottle. The more you drank the smarter you became and when the bottle was empty the meter indicated that you reached genius level. Very cute. Very creative.

Smartwater continues to be a huge selling product for the Coca Cola company which purchased the product line from Energy Brands in 2007. Smartwater can be found in many retail stores and also on-line at Bottled Water Store.com<a href="http://www.bottledwaterstore.com/smartwater.htm"></a>. Smartwater is the best selling product at Bottled Water Store.com. Customers like to have cases delivered to their door at home or work and often purchased Smartwater as gifts.

Maintaining Well Run Municipal Drinking Water Systems

2009-11-11T15:58:00Z

Bottled water is the only source of competition for municipal water treatment services. Sometimes it's price is criticized as too high because it is vastly more expensive per liter than municipal drinking water. But the price is often attacked as too low because it does not include the environmental cost of the plastic containers. Ideally, bottled beverages and goods of all kinds should include the environmental costs of the products. It is nonsensical to ban plastic water bottles but not to ban plastic bottles of Coke or Pepsi. For that matter, consider all of the products we all purchase consistantly and packaged in plastic that after use goes directly into the trash.

Bottled water and municipal water is highly regulated yet the quality of municipal as well as rural drinking water is not consistent across the country. The potential result of banning bottled water would be to eliminate choice for consumers.

Bottled Water To The Recsue - Again

2009-10-09T14:21:00Z

Hardly a week goes by that I don't get an Email or a comment to a blog from someone who is anti bottled water. It is of course perfectly respectable to have an opinion pro or con about anything but what usually happens is that, in the end, the writer is just pushing a product of some sort. These are usually water filters, RO systems, tap water etc. Please don't misunderstand stand me, these are wonderful products and I am involved with all of them, more than you would think. So it is that when the writer recommends the end of bottled water for much overplayed reasons, I cant help but become dismayed. That is because not one of the substitutions for bottled water has ever saved lives in an emergency, such as a hurricane or flood.

A town in Palm Beach County Florida has what is being referred to as a "cancer cluster" because of an unusually high incidence of and deaths from various forms of brain cancer. All of the homes in this community get their water from private wells. These wells have been tested to determine if the water is the cause of the problems. For the most part the wells tested negative for most potential cancer causing cataminates. A small sampling of the wells did have elevated levels of radium or radioactive alpha particles. Much of our water throught out the country contains various levels if radium-226 or 228 but typically in amounts well below EPA standards. The radium in the ground water is being investigated as a potential source of the health problem.

On Thursday the community received a visit from one of Americas most famous consumer advocate and anti-pollution crusader Erin Brockovitch. Remember the oscar winning movie starring Julia Roberts?

Ms Brockovitch's advise to the residents of this village in turmoil was to remain calm and to try not to panic while the she and the state agencies work to determine the cause of the problem. She advised everyone at the meeting to take short showers and "Drink Bottled Water".

For more about how important bottled water is for our society, check out another story about bottled water saving lives, just this week, at www.bottledwaterstories.blogspot.com.

The Beverage Guidance System

2009-09-24T16:00:00Z

The Beverage Guidance System was developed by a panel of experts headed by Dr. Barry Popkin at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Over the past several decades, levels of overweight and obesity have increased across all population groups in the United States. Concurrently, an increased daily intake of 150–300 kcal (for different age-sex groups) has occurred, with approximately 50% of the increased calories coming from the consumption of calorically sweetened beverages. The panel ranked beverages from the lowest to the highest value based on caloric and nutrient contents and related health benefits and risks. Drinking water was ranked as the preferred beverage to fulfill daily water needs and was followed in decreasing value by tea and coffee, low-fat (1.5% or 1%) and skim (nonfat) milk and soy beverages, noncalorically sweetened beverages, beverages with some nutritional benefits (fruit and vegetable juices, whole milk, alcohol, and sports drinks), and calorically sweetened, nutrient-poor beverages. The Panel recommends that the consumption of beverages with no or few calories should take precedence over the consumption of beverages with more calories.

In an effort to help Americans make better decisions, the beverages are assigned categories from level 1 to level 6. Popkin recommends beverages in levels 1 through 3 while beverages in levels 4 though 6 should be consumed in great moderation.

Water of course, is the best hydration fluid and is level 1. The entire report can be downloaded from bottledwaterstore.com by clicking on this link: http://www.bottledwaterstore.com/bevguidesys.pdf

One Municipality Above the Rest

2009-08-21T12:56:00Z

The past year has seen cities and various other municipalities across the US and worldwide initiate or support initiatives to ban the sale of bottled water. The claimed motivation is to reduce the amount of plastic bottles that end up in landfills. I believe that this thinking is misguided considering that there are a plethora of bottles, both plastic and glass that also end up in landfills. I can talk a lot more about that. In fact I will in another blog.

For now I wish to congratulate the folks at Flagler County FL for their intelligence and thoughtfulness demonstrated by their new recycling initiative. The county is trying to educate their populace about recycling bottled water bottles. One way in which they are getting the message out is distributing their own bottled water with their message right on the label. Here is the label with their message:

Maybe it is because Flagler County is in Florida, a state that recognizes the value and importance that bottled water provides. Besides the convenience and portable hydration provided by bottled water in this hot weather state, bottled water has saved lives during many hurricane situations. When disaster strikes, anywhere in the world, do relief agencies truck in water from municipal water treatment plants and then fill glass bottles for disaster victims? We all know that bottled water is one of the primary relief supplies.

Hats off to Flagler County. Good luck with your recycling campaign.

More Disinformation in the Media About Water

2009-07-10T19:32:00Z

It seems that every six months or so, another delusive study about bottle water is released. What is worse is that the mass media loves to broadcast and print the disinformation. The result is that thousands of intelligent citizens are treated liked idiots.

The latest report to make my blood boil was released this week. The Government Accountability Office and the Environmental Working Group(who are they?)claim that consumers know less about the water they buyin bottles then the water that comes out of the tap. They say this is because bottles do not contain the same information that municipal water producers must disclose. Well, here is my first argument.

Does anyone know what their tap water contains? Do you know what the tapwater your served in the restaurant contains? I don't remember a waiter ever offering me a water analysis when I'm in a restaurant. Maybe itwas on the bottom of the glass!

The reality is that once a year municipalities are required to provide each customer with a water analysis. Most people would not understand them. Most people likelyt hrow them away, I speculate. The labels on bottled water contain some information including the source of the water and some mineral content.They are too small to contain the whole 22 page water analysis. But mandatory on every bottle is a contact telephone number to call to request this information.

The Bottled Water industry is highly regulated and most reputable bottled water companies adhere to FDA regulations. Most are members of the IBWA, International Bottled Water Association which requires that their members adhere to their strict rules.

Because I defend the bottled water industry, as well ascitizens rights to choose what ever beverage they please, you might think that I do not approve of tap water. Contrarily, I think the major municipal water utilities do a good job treating our water supplies andprovide a safe product. A major problem that seems to be always overlooked by those that decry bottled water and recommend tap is thatpeople do recognize that tap water has problems and is just not as convenient to obtain when away from home. The chief problem,particularly where I live in Florida, is the taste. The water contains chlorine necessary for sanitation but unfortunately departs a bad tasteand odor. Many restaurants serve water with lemon for that reason. If you filter it with a carbon filter the water tastes very good. Yea fortap water. Unfortunately, most of use do not carry our filtration equipment with us when we travel to work, the park the gym etc. Mucheasier to buy a bottle of water.

Bottled water companies process water much the same way municipalities do. The difference is that one is a government entity and the other is for profit. If the for profit screws up they can be out of business. If the government entity screwsup, we all boil water for a week but they keep on going. So we trust Nestle, Coke, Pepsi, Evian, Poland Spring and the many other well known brands to do the right thing.

When I watch video of government meetings I rarely see anything but bottled water on the table. When the GAO presented their report before a sub-committee of congress, I wonder what was on the table in front of every attendee, tap or bottled water?

Claims Agains Bottled Water Unfounded

2009-05-13T16:13:00Z

One claim is that bottled water is no different than tap water. Well, it is different in a lot of ways. One being it is in a bottle so the delivery system is completely different, which makes it a convenient option for people who are on the go. The package also ensures that it is sanitary. It is different than tap water, which travels through pipes and has other issues.

Environmentalists have said that bottled water is simply bottled tap water, but in reality 75% of bottled water is from springs and natural sources. The rest of it, if it is bottled from municipal sources, is treated and has to meet certain standards and regulations beyond what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulations are for tap water. The standards for bottled water are different—they basically meet EPA regulations plus packaging regulations, which are just as stringent, if not more.

Another claim is that bottled water is unduly wasteful, more wasteful than other products, but there is really no evidence for that. It is not a huge portion of solid waste, and putting taxes and bans on it is not going to have much of an impact on the amount of waste that goes into a landfill. Bottled water containers are recyclable and the part of the story that is not being told is that the 5-gal containers are recycled at nearly a 100% rate. They are used 30 to 50 times over, so they are an environmentally friendly product from that perspective.

There are also a lot of claims about the chemicals in the products, but a lot of times the chemicals referred to do not even appear in the bottles. BPA is not found in single-serving containers. It is found in the 5-gal containers, but at such a low level that it is inconsequential. There has never been a public health issue cited from [chemicals in bottled water containers], it’s just speculative and way overblown.

Just a Few Reasons Why We Love Bottled Water

2009-04-15T21:36:26Z

Bottled Water, the fasted growing beverage category of the last 20 years is under attack. After being hailed as a natural healthy alternative to soft drinks and other sugary beverages, it is being maligned from environmentalists and those that seek favor in a "Green" sort of way. But all this shall soon pass.

Why? Because bottled water fulfills our need to be mobile and hydrated. Or, if in a meeting, have a source of sealed safe water to quench our thirst. There are many ways bottled water serves as a convenience in our daily lives. One common way that comes to mind is the bottle of water in our car. Or maybe when taking the baby or dog or both for a long walk. On the way to work out or play a sport and forgot to bring your bottle from home, buy a bottle of water.

Do you coach kid sports? Do you fill 15 bottles in your kitchen sink or bring do you fill a 3 gallon jug, buy and bring them to the field for the kids? A case of bottled water costs less than $5 and fits in a cooler. Easy. Also sealed and safe.

Don't get the idea that I don't believe in bottling tap water, because I do. And I have been doing it for years. But that is because my tap water is filtered and dechlorinated and tastes great. Like bottled water. But most people do not have filters on their tap water and when tap water is not cold it often tastes bad as a result of the chlorine and organic content that is normally present.

Bottled water provides many other conveniences so I think that once the assault is over it will emerge as healthy and desirable as ever. Bottled Water is here to stay.
Purchase or learn more about bottled water.

Redesigned Bottles for a Green Environment

2009-03-04T13:41:00Z

Bottled water companies continue toward their goal of reducing the impact of plastic bottles on the environment. One way bottlers are making a contribution is by reducing the amount of PET content in each bottle. Brand owners are steadily taking advantage of an average 2-gram material savings on bottle and the cap achieved through moving to light weight closures and reducing wall thickness. Further work is being done involving the shape of bottles along with the development of ultra might weight bottles such as Sidels "No Bottle" and Krones ultra light weight alternative.

This month Evian revealed its carbon footprint as part of Evian's new sustainable development initiative. It's 1 liter bottled water equals 198 grams (.436 pounds) of CO2. That's the equivalent of less than one mile driven in the family car. One liter of Evian consumed is less than .5 percent of a typical persons daily footprint.

An alternative to PET may be bottles made from plants. The increase in global input prices, energy prices and increased environmental concern has renewed interest inbio-polymers such as PLA,PHA and PGA. As costs increase these renewable pack types approach price parity and rapid technological advances in terms of clarity and rigidity has led to brand manufacturers taking increased interest in these alternatives.

Another new alternative is Reverte oxo-biodegradable (oxo-bio) PET plastic preforms and bottles introduced by Norland Intl. and Planet Green Bottle Corp. These bottles break down naturally and in most cases turn to CO2 and moisture within 5 to 10 years. Reverte has been formulated for a two year shelf life and the degradation process is triggered by UV light, heat and moisture. Plastic bottles containing the Reverte technology will degrade in landfills, ditches, rivers and oceans.

City of Chicago Levies Tax on Bottled Water

2009-02-05T14:55:00Z

I first learned of the tax several months ago when I received a letter from Tammy Steels, Executive Director of the Urban Sustainability Authority, based in Chicago.The Urban Sustainability Authority is a 5013c non-profit organization dedicated to environment and health.
The letter was sent to inform me that, effective July 1, 2008, the city had issued a special access tax on the sale of bottled water. The tax adds $1.20 to a case of bottled water purchased in Chicago. Urban Sustainability, www.urbansustain.org, is fighting to reverse this "misleading and unhealthy" tax. The group has created PROJECT H2GO as a way of saying no to Chicago's tax "on this planet's healthiest beverage".

It is assumed thast the tax was created to reduce the amount of plastic bottles in landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, cardboard and yard waste are the top trash in landfills, not plastic bottles.

There are great many reason why water, essential to life on this planet, is not taxed in most of the world, except Chicago. I believe they are very obvious and that water in any form should not be taxed. What do you think? I'd also like to know how the Urban Sustainability Authority is progressing with PROJECT H2GO.

We are Water! All Things Are Water!

2009-01-19T16:03:00Z

More than perhaps any other element of life on earth, water makes possible the existence of all living organisms. When two hydrogen atoms fasten to one oxygen atom, they create an asymmetrically shaped molecule. The hydrogen atoms are drawn together slightly on one side of the oxygen atom, creating a positive charge on one side of the water molecule and a negative charge on the other. The opposite charges create an effect similar to a magnetic attraction that bonds water molecules to neighboring water molecules and to other substances. This remarkable chemical circumstance knits together the fabric of life.

The aggregate accumulation of water molecules is a substance that flows at normal temperatures. Most other fluids i.e. milk and blood are water-based. They are made of non-liquids suspended in water.

Without the motion and the distribution system that moving water provides, the elements of life would never connect, their commingling under sunlight would not produce the complicated carbon compounds that lead eventually to cells, cells would not be able to gather as the moist organized and specialized cell colonies we call tissue, their aggregation would have no exchanging processes, no supply systems of food and breath, the eye would not see, the brain would not compute, the muscle would not move.

By and large, the characteristics of the water molecule that make it life-giving are freakish properties. They are, more often than not, exceptions to basic chemical rules.

Almost every other substance becomes heavier, smaller, and denser as it changes from a liquid to a solid. But water expands and grows lighter, so that ice floats. If that does not seem remarkable, it should. If water acted like other substances, its solid form, ice, would sink. The floor of the sea and the bottoms of lakes would accumulate ice. Gradually, winter after winter, the ice would lock up more and more water until there would be none running free on the planet. There would be no life on earth.

More substances can be dissolved by water than by any other material. The water molecule, with its magnet like opposite charges, is able to carry other substances suspended within itself, making it a nearly universal solvent.

Water is able to climb of its own accord, a feat that results in capillary action in soils and in plants. Without this characteristic, water would not travel from the deepest root tip to the highest leaf. There would be no internal flow of nutrients in complicated organisms, and thus no complicated organisms. The trick occurs because the attraction of water molecules to themselves and to other molecules is so strong that they are drawn upward from one foreign molecule to another, always pulling along the adjacent water molecules. The climb is halted only by gravity.

Great amounts of heat can be absorbed by water, making seas, rivers, lakes, and clouds vast energy storage banks. The release of stored heat from the ocean, for example, moderates climates, making coastal winters milder than those only a few miles inland.

Human blood, excluding the cells and proteins, has the same general composition as seawater.

Through a fortunate accident, Planet Earth is the right distance from the sun to make the existence of life-giving water possible. Closer to the sun the heat is so intense that water would be vaporized; farther away, water would be permanently frozen. Only Mars, of the other planets in the solar system, is in the narrow temperature band in which water can exist in all three states. But only Earth is blanketed by a living, water-built biosphere, in which the lifesource itself seems to issue from water's evaporation, precipitation, runoff, seepage, transpiration from plants, respiration from animals, melting, freezing, and flowing. Earth, as far as we know, is the only water planet.

More About Bottled Water

The Great Flouride Debate - again.

2008-12-30T21:09:00Z

Gosh, the debate over whether to add Fluoride, or not, into public water supplies seems to have been going on forever. It is almost like if you have seen the successful results then you are very much for it. If you live in a water district where Fluoride is being considered, then you may be against it. In the 50's antagonists called it a "communist plot". Since then it has been argued and feared that Fluoride in drinking water may cause almost every kind of malady.

Fluoride, in very very large doses, roughly four times the amount typically added to public water supplies, has been associated with dental Fluorosis, in which teeth become mottled and pitted, and could cause bone fractures. A separate study linked fluoride with a very rare bone cancer in boys.

But while a few isolated studies have raised such questions, there has never been any compelling evidence that fluoridation has any harmful health effects in over 60 years of research, according to the CDC. In fact, the ADA, AMA and WHO and also five US Surgeons General, have endorsed adding Fluoride to public water supplies because it cuts the rate of tooth decay 18 to 40%.

Personnel experience has me convinced. I was born in NYC before fluoride was introduced to the water supply. I had cavities all the time and going to the dentist was routine. No child should have to endure the procedures in that I had to. My father was macho and didn't believe in Novocaine. He insisted that I shouldn't use it either. That only lasted a short time and finally I was allowed the luxury of that big, really big needle inserted into my gums to inject the Novocaine. It was worth it. But by the time I was about 8 or nine years old, NYC began adding Fluoride to our drinking water. And guess what, "Look Ma, no more cavities".

I have since moved to Florida, Palm Beach County to be more specific where fluoride is added and kids get Fluoride applied to there teeth in school once a year. My kids have grown up without cavities. Loss of a revenue stream for dentists, big savings for me.

Here is a parting thought for your consideration. Why is there this fuss about fluoride and not the other chemicals added to our water by municipalities routinely, like Chlorine,sometimes added in great quantities, and Corrosion inhibitor which is added into the finished water to protect the pipes that serve our homes.

Hydration Boosts Concentration Among UK Students

2008-12-02T17:30:00Z

UK based bottled water manufacturer Willow Water has recently completed a joint initiative with Morecambe Community High School (MCHS) to provide free water for a school project to test the benefits of drinking water among pupils. The results showed that there was a statistically significant overall improvement in concentration levels, according to the company which also claims the eponymous branded water can improved the student’s skin conditions.

Students were asked to drink 1.5 litres of Willow Water each per day including weekends and to complete before and after questionnaires. Their parents and teachers were also asked to complete questionnaires both before the ‘trial’ started and at the end. These questionnaires were designed to monitor student concentration levels.

The project with MCHS ended recently and the results showed that drinking more (Willow) water definitely had a positive effect on concentration levels with 48% of the pupils noticing an improvement. A further 42% noticed a positive improvement in their level of excitability and 38% felt their anger control had improved. Throughout the trial several teachers reported that during the afternoon sessions the children were able to stay on task for longer periods of time. The school used the trial in a selection of lessons including statistics, science and math. The psychology students also looked at the effects of hydration and some of the teachers also participated.

Philip Sinclair, Chemistry and Science teacher at Morecambe School is delighted with the trial. “The trials went well although distribution of the water was hard work! There was a buzz in the whole school about it – in fact I had kids approach me in the corridor wanting to take part.” The results are in line with government recommendations which state that children should drink at least 1.5 – 2 litres of water per day. Water makes up about 80% of the brain and is an essential element in neurological transmissions.

Poor hydration adversely affects a child’s mental performance and symptoms include tiredness, headaches reduced alertness and ability to concentrate. Mental performance, including memory, attention and concentration, deteriorates progressively as the degree of dehydration increases.

MCHS is encouraging the children to maintain their water consumption so that this may reflect positively in their GCSE results.

Thirst Aid

2008-11-01T21:23:00Z

The Royal College of Nursing has developed a tool kit as part of its Nutrition Now campaign to assist nurses, healthcare workers, caterers and other service providers with the implementation of good hydration practice and the promotion of the benefits of regular water intake. cooler innovation finds out more about how the document could impact on healthcare in the United Kingdom.

Carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, proteins and minerals. What is missing from this list? It might come as a surprise to some, but water also fits into this group of six basic nutrients. Much is made of the need to ensure that hospital patients are meeting their nutritional requirements through food, but water is often overlooked, which can lead to dehydration among those who are most vulnerable.

The UK National Patient Safety Agency’s (NPSA) national reporting and learning system has cited dehydration as a patient safety issue as medical evidence shows that good hydration can assist in the management of diabetes, as well as helpprevent various ailments, such as pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, heart disease, low blood pressure, cognitive impairment and poor oral health.

As well as visibly promoting wellbeing and a better quality of life for patients, these benefits can also result in a reduction in medication, less time needed to care for patients suffering from common illnesses and the removal of the higher cost professional involvement that is required to prescribe and administer treatment.

“Encouraging the drinking of fresh water makes good economic sense for healthcare professionals on tight budgets,” reads the Water For Health Hydration Best Practice Toolkit for Hospitals and Healthcare. “It is not often that a healthy option proves to be a cheaper solution, but taking drinking water from the tap is highly cost effective.”
More About Bottled Water

Why Consumers Choose Bottled Water

2008-09-20T02:30:00Z

Why Consumers choose bottled water

WHY CONSUMERS CHOOSE BOTTLED WATER

-Some groups have sought to frame drinking water issues as a "bottled water versus tap water debate" and that confuses consumers.

-Consumers are not uniformly replacing their public drinking water with bottled water; rather they are choosing bottled water over the other beverages available at the store and home. Consumers across the United States choose bottled water as an alternative to other packaged beverages because it does not include calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol and other ingredients they may wish to moderate. Or, they choose bottled water because they are not always satisfied with the aesthetic qualities (e.g., taste, odor, color) of their tap water. There are thousands of public water systems across the US, most of which are succeeding; but others are faced with occasional "challenges," emergencies, or natural events that may cause service interruptions.

-Many consumers likely drink both bottled water and tap water depending on the circumstances. It does not, however, always amount to a tap versus bottled water choice.

Bottled Water Bottles Are Safe

2008-09-17T21:47:00Z

Here is a follow up to the BPA story. It turns out that the bottles (cans) that you should worry about are the hard plastic kind usually with the recycle # 7 stamped on them. Bottled water bottles that you by and recycle are made of PET and usually have the #1 stamped on them. Cans have inner coatings that contain BPA also.
Here are some good rules of thumb for reducing your intake of BPA.
1. Buy your tomato sauce in glass jars. Canned tomato sauce is likely to have higher levels of BPA because the high acidity of the tomatoes causes more of the chemical to leach from the lining of the can. Think beyond plain tomato sauce to any canned pasta—like ravioli and those fun-looking kids' meals.
2. Consume frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned. In addition to their BPA-free benefit, fresh and frozen produce usually have more nutrients, which often get lost in the process of canning. Eden Foods does offer canned beans that are BPA-free.
3. Purchase beverages in plastic or glass bottles. Canned soda and juice often contain some BPA. You don't need to worry, though, about disposable plastic water bottles. Most don't contain bisphenol A, and those that do are usually marked on the bottom with a number 7 recycling code.
4. Use powdered infant formula instead of ready-to-serve liquid. A separate assessment from the Environmental Working Group found that liquid formulas contain more BPA than powdered brands.
5. Think in terms of moderation. You don't need to avoid all canned foods. Just consult the chart below and follow a sensible approach, eating less of those foods that are high in BPA. Click here for the full report on canned foods.

The Safety of PET Bottled Water Bottles

2008-09-06T01:25:00Z

There has been a great deal of publicity lately about the safety, or lack of, concerning bottled water bottles. It seems that the media has jumped on the "danger" bandwagon and is suggesting that bottled water may be unsafe to drink. The culprit they say is a chemical called bisphenol A. The talking heads imply that bispehenol A will leach from the bottled water bottles into the water and cause us harm.

Bisphenol A is a hormone mimicking chemical that can disturb the body's endocrine system. It has been found to leach from polycarbonate plastic which are used in those sturdy reusable bottles like the kind hikers carry, baby bottles and water coolers. But PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles don't contain bisphenol A, according to NAPCOR, the National Association for PET Container Resources. Scientific research on the potential for PET bottles to leach harmful substance is sparse. If anything, it's the reuse of PET bottles by some consumers that may pose a problem, since the bottles' narrow necks can make them difficult to wash. "The bigger risk to consumers is probably bacterial contamination," says Rolf Halden, a drinking water expert and assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

I don't have anything against news shows alerting the public to a potential problem but I think that they should do the research so that they get their story correct. I hope that the media is not deliberately promoting non consumption of bottled water.

More about bottled water

Welcome

2008-09-05T00:39:12Z

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.