This means that by the time your organic coffee reaches your cup it would likely no longer qualify as “organic,” and definitely not as Good Stuff.

(By the way, did you know that coffee is a superfood?)

Written by John Goss, Healthy Home Director

Problem #1: Toxins in Coffee Growing

Coffee is one of the most intensively sprayed crops in the world. This is because coffee is no longer grown in the shade (where the plant evolved and thrives). It is now grown in ways that allow for maximum production, but that requires the use of large amounts of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers.

This is not only bad for us as consumers, but is also quite detrimental to the people who live and work in coffee-producing areas.

Here are just three of the pesticides commonly used on coffee beans:

1. Methyl Parathyion is one of the most vile pesticides ever created, and is toxic to a wide swath of all living things–including humans.
2. Endosulfan is toxic to most animals and takes a very long time to break down in the soil.
3. Chlorpyrifos has been banned for household use in the U.S. as it can cause birth defects.

All of the above, and more, can show up in your morning joe.

The solution to this problem is pretty simple: buy only certified organic coffee beans.

Problem #2: Toxins in Coffee Roasting

Organic coffee beans are a great start to a healthier cup of java, but it is important that the roasting process be free from harmful chemistry, too.

Roasting equipment needs to be cleaned on a regular basis to avoid chemical solvents showing up in your cup.

Flavoring agents are commonly used immediately after the roasting process, sometimes to mask the taste and smell of old or bad beans. Flavored coffee should be avoided as they are synthetic and often contain preservatives that are definitely not Good Stuff!

The solution here is a little more complicated: Find a roaster that is dedicated to a non-toxic process. (This is easier said than done—it took us a year to find one!)

The Worst Stuff: Coffee Pods

The environmental damage caused by coffee pods (AKA “k-cups”) can’t be overstated. In fact, their founder, John Sylvan, has said that he regrets inventing the pod!

Traditional coffee pods are neither biodegradable nor recyclable, and a whopping THIRD of American households have a k-cup brewer in their homes.

Equally concerning: coffee pods are made of plastic, and the hot water that passes through them increases the leaching of endocrine disruptors into your coffee. While k-cups are free of BPA, they’ve still tested positive for estrogenic activity.

To make matters worse, the top of coffee pods are usually made of aluminum, a heavy metal linked with a range of health problems.

Problem #3: Toxins in Coffee Bags & Packaging

Once the coffee beans are roasted, they go into a bag. These bags almost always contain plastics and other chemicals that can convey even more toxins to your beans.

Coffee bags typically have a lining of polypropylene to keep the coffee oils from making the bag unsightly.  Simple brown paper bags may fool you by looking like they are made entirely of paper when this is basically never the case.

Polypropylene, while relatively inert, is the single most abundant micro-plastic found in all the waters of the world (and in seafood…and in every one of us!).
The effects of micro-plastics from this type of plastic are only beginning to be understood. Studies have found that polypropylene particles may stimulate the immune system, but human studies are lacking.

Some coffee beans come in glassine bags (pictured above). This seems better than plastic because glassine is essentially wood pulp. Unfortunately, glassine is almost always bleached with chlorine or other chemicals that stay in the paper fibers and are leached into the coffee beans.

We’ve solved this one for you! Until recently, there have been no alternatives to standard coffee bags, but we finally found a new, non-toxic, environmentally safe alternative. More on this below,

Problem #4: Toxins in Coffee Water

Obviously, brewing coffee starts with water. If you use typical municipal water you are adding chlorine, fluoride, and potentially substances like lead, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and others to you morning cup. Not only are these toxic, but they can also negatively affect the taste of your coffee.

The solution here is easy: We highly recommend using a robust water filtration system. Pitcher type filters are better than nothing, but true filtration essentially eliminates a very wide swath of biological agents and chemical toxins. Learn more about choosing a water filter here.

Problem #5: Toxins in Coffee Brewing Equipment

This Frankfurt coffee brewer is entirely free of plastic, so there’s no opportunity for endocrine disruptors to leach into the coffee.

Water is a potent solvent that breaks down many substances. Hot water is an especially intense solvent, and it extracts substances far faster than cold water does.

Whether you like cold-brew or hot, pour-over, drip, espresso, French press, or a plug-in brewer, it is a good idea to avoid brewing equipment that is composed of certain plastics, metals, or coatings that could introduce unwanted substances into your cup.

More specifically, you’ll want to avoid coffee brewers with plastic parts that come into contact with water. Also, avoid aluminum, nonstick surfaces, and any low-fire ceramics.

The good news is that there are several great ways to brew without any toxins. We like stainless steel filtration rather than plastic, paper, or even cloth. Stainless steel is rugged, easy to clean, imparts no flavor, and lasts almost forever—making it an Earth- and wallet-friendly choice.

As for coffee dispensers, cups, and storage, we like stainless steel, glass, and most ceramics. Medical grade silicone seals are acceptable and better than plastics.

The solution here is to vet your coffee accessories carefully. We have a selection of Good-Stuff approved, plastic-free brewing, storage, and dispensing solutions here.

Problem #7: Toxins in Coffee Cup

You may already know that styrofoam cups can mess with your hormones, especially when the liquid inside of them is hot! But even paper to-go coffee cups can be a problem, from the coating on the inside (polyethylene) to the glue at the seams–which partially dissolves when the coffee is poured into the cup. Moreover, wax-coated paper cups cannot be recycled because of their petroleum-derived paraffin coating.

Coffee lids made with #6 or #7 plastic likely contain BPA. The last few times I’ve ordered a to-go coffee I’ve noticed the lid is printed with a #7, and of course you’ve got hot liquid passing through this on it’s way to your mouth (like in the picture of Maia above!).

The solution here is to bring your own reusable coffee mug when stopping at a Starbucks. I like this one and this one.

Problem #8: Toxins in Decaf Coffee

If you are a drinker of decaf coffee, you have one more thing to worry about. There are three major decaffeination techniques, only one of which is Good Stuff.

1) Methylene Chloride Process (MCP)
Also known as “direct decaffeination,” MCP is the most common decaffeination technique. MCP decaffeination uses the solvent methylene chloride (commonly found in things like paint stripper), and it leaves behind trace amounts of this toxin. According to Consumer Reports, even small doses of methylene chloride can cause “coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. At higher doses, it can cause headache, confusion, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and fatigue, and has been found to cause liver and lung cancer in animals.” It’s true that the amount of methyl chloride that remains in decaf coffee is restricted to not exceed 10 ppm, but I definitely want my coffee free of this decidedly Bad Stuff.

2) Swiss Water Process (SWP)
In this method, beans are soaked in near-boiling water, which extracts both the flavor oils and the caffeine from the coffee. The water is then separated into a tank, where it is forced through charcoal filters to remove the caffeine. The beans are then reintroduced to the swill, which reabsorbs the flavor. Since no chemicals are used, there’s nothing to worry about in terms of toxins with SWP decaf coffee. Unfortunately, coffee drinkers often find that bright, lively coffees can end up being rather flat after the SWP. (The term “Swiss water” is a branding term, by the way; there is not actually water from Switzerland used in this process.)

3) Mountain Water Process (MWP)
In this process, water from the glaciers of the mountains of Mexico is used to decaffeinate coffee in a similar manner as SWP. The water is used to float the coffee oils and caffeine in a solution, then the solution is filtered to remove the caffeine, and finally the the water soluble oils are returned to the coffee beans to restore the flavor. The big difference with MWP is that the resulting coffee tastes better. Coffee connoisseurs say that MWP decaf taste very close to premium regular coffees.

The bottom line if you drink decaf coffee: make sure it’s water-processed .

Introducing….Coffee, Not Chemicals

After a year of research and a lot of false starts (mostly around the bags!), we were so excited to launch Coffee, Not Chemicals in 2019. Our coffee bags are certified nontoxic and 100% compostable. This means that our coffee is not only non-toxic but also a zero waste product.

Why We Think Coffee, Not Chemicals Is the Best Stuff:

Our coffee is made of certified organic coffee beans that are fresh roasted in a dedicated non-toxic roastery. Each bag has a roast date.

Our packaging is certified non-toxic by an independent testing facility. This means that the bags, the valve, the labels, the ink, and even the adhesives are nontoxic and 100% compostable.

The packaging is free of BPA, phthalates, fossil fuel by-products, and bleach.

Coffee, Not Chemicals has gotten only 5-star reviews from our customers, and most people who order a bag decide to subscribe to keep it coming uninterrupted.

You guys asked (and asked and asked) for a decaf version. It’s here! And it’s Mountain Water Processed of course.

Please comment below with questions or comments about your own favorite coffees or brewers!

Stay sane,

P.S. What if coffee is something that you love but it doesn’t love you back? Coffee is delicious and I love the ritual of it after breakfast, in the afternoon, or after dinner. But caffeine makes some people, my wife included, agitated and impatient, and it can disrupt sleep or cause indigestion. Even decaf can sometimes bother some people’s stomachs. Suzanne recently discovered MUD/WTR, and it’s taken the place of her morning latte. It is full of superfoods, and is soothing, warming, and gives a little lift without any of the side effects that she experiences with coffee.

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The post Toxins in Coffee: 8 Sources of Harmful Chemicals in Your Morning Brew appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

The 2019 Gimme the Good Stuff gift guide is in the works, but first can we talk about the other holiday? The one in November that we all celebrate?

Here are some of the ways you can make this year’s Thanksgiving healthier and saner:

1) Two of the best sides: There are two recipes that we’ve been making since I was born, and each is healthful and super yummy. We shared my dad’s top-secret cranberry sauce recipe and my mom’s favorite simple maple yam recipe on our blog.

2) The healthiest, easiest main: Thrive Market will delivery an organic oven roasted turkey to your door–or a bunch of other organic meat options, like ham, ribeye, or scallops–as part of their Build Your Own Holiday box program. And Butcher Box is giving away free turkeys with your first order.

3) A hangover-free buzz: The holidays are a great time to enjoy some healthy, organic wine. I wrote about what to look for in wine in this post, and for the holidays I ordered this Thanksgiving Collection from Dry Farm Wines. The collection is specifically selected to pair well with Thanksgiving foods, and, like all of Dry Farm’s curated wines, every bottles is lab-tested to be sugar-free, carb-free, low-sulfites (and never added sulfites), organic or biodynamically grown, hand-harvested, made in small batches, and free of all additives. You have to order by November 10th (that’s Sunday!) to make sure you have this wine by Thanksgiving.

4) Safer cookware. A few of my favorite stainless steel items are listed below, or you could shop Xtrema’s 20% off Thanksgiving sale for my favorite “less-stick” cookware.

Stay sane,

Thanksgiving Essentials in Our Store:

Stainless Steel Dutch Oven

No chemicals or heavy metals will be leaching into YOUR mashed potatoes this year!

Reusable Silicone Bags

The new large sizes are perfect for storing prepped food as well as leftovers.

$9.99 – $21.99Buy Now

Toxin-Free Coffee

Make sure your guests have delicious, organic coffee on hand.

From: $16.99 / weekBuy Now

Frankfurt Pour-over Coffee Brewer

The Frankfurt includes an ultra-fine permanent stainless steel filter, a borosilicate glass coffee server and storage pot, and a pour-over stand.

$99.99Buy Now

Rose Hand Soap

Stock your guest rooms with some luxury that’s still toxin-free!

Toxin-Free Roasting Pan

Whatever you’re roasting, make sure it’s in a stainless steel pan.

$50.00Buy Now

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The post Healthy Thanksgiving Ideas appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

What Are the Sources of Toxins in Tea?

Unfortunately, there a bunch of ways that toxins end up in your morning cup of tea. What follows are the ones I am most worried about.

1. Paper tea bags can be a problem because of a chemical called epichlorohydrin, which is used to keep the bags from breaking. Epichlorohydrin will leach when exposed to hot water, and is a potential carcinogen and reproductive toxin. (Many paper coffee filters will also be treated with this chemical, by the way, which is why we recommend stainless steel filters.)
2. Those silky fancier tea bags (called satchets) pose a different risk, which is what we are hearing about now in the news. These bags are made of either rayon, thermoplastic, polypropylene, or, most commonly, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is considered a safe plastic, with a high melting point. However, PET’s “glass transition” temperature (the temperature at which the material starts to break down) is less than 170 degrees–and boiling water is 212 degrees. So it’s really not surprising at all that the plastic in these bags leaches into the tea!
3. Tea bags that are made of polylactic acid, which is derived from corn starch, should also be avoided. Polylactic acid is still a plastic of sorts that lacks any safety studies.
4. There is also the issue of toxins in the tea itself, with reports showing unsafe pesticide levels in tea that’s imported from China. Heavy metals from contaminated soil (including lead, aluminum, arsenic, and cadmium) may be present in both organic and conventional teas. Although the lead levels are below the action level for public drinking water, steeping tea for less time will not allow the transfer of heavy metals and is thus a good safety precaution.

Earth Mama’s teas for women are 100% USDA Certified Organic, including the tea bags, which are not processed with chlorine, dioxins, or epichlorohydrin.

How to Avoid Toxins in Tea

Tea has many health benefits. Drinking tea may reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, due to tea’s high antioxidant content. (Related post: 8 Super Foods We Eat Every Day.)

If you’re a tea-drinker like I am, I recommend either drinking Pique or buying organic, loose leaf teas that do not come from China, brewed in stainless steel. You’ll see my two of my favorite brewers, below, and here are some Good Stuff teas, both bagged and loose:

1. Art of Tea is my favorite loose tea.
2. Gaia also makes safe tea, as there are no plastics used in their tea bags. Only chlorine-free bleached paper pulps are used for the production of the filter paper, and cotton yarn is used to secure the tab.
3. Numi Organic Tea is also toxin-free, as it comes in compostable hemp tea bags that are oxygen-bleached.
4. Choice Organic Teas come in 100% unbleached abaca fibers and are free of plastics. They are sealed with either a staple or cotton string.
5. Traditional Medicinals teas are also stored in toxin-free, compostable bags made from hemp and wood pulp. They are whitened using oxygen and peroxide and sealed with staples and cotton string.
6. Five Mountains makes delicious teas with international organic certifications, biodiverse and sustainable growing methods, and compostable packaging.
7. Golden Moon Tea is another healthful and delicious brand of loose leaf tea.
8. Davidson’s Organic Tea is another nice loose leaf tea option.
9. Earth Mama teas are in 100% USDA Certified Organic–including the paper tea bags, which are not processed with chlorine, dioxins, and/or epichlorohydrin, and have been analyzed and approved by Food Chain for Non-GMO Project Verified status.
10. Pique tea is my favorite tea. The convenience is unrivaled–you just empty the packets into hot or cold water. Pique cold-extracts their teas to preserve the maximum polynutrients and you can truly taste the difference. The tea is also screened for a range of toxins and pesticides. Use code GIMME5 for 5% off your first order at Pique.

More Ways to Avoid Toxins in Tea

Grosche Travel Tea-Infuser Mug (Or To-Go Coffee Mug!)

$29.99Buy Now

Grosche Havana Cold Brew Coffee Maker

$34.99Buy Now

Stay sane,

P.S. This is the cup I transfer my home-brewed green tea into when I leave the house. It is made of only glass and silicone, so it doesn’t leach any chemicals into my brew:).

$20.00Buy Now

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The post How to Avoid Toxins in Tea appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

1. Xtrema / 2. Lodge / 3. Cuisinox / 4. Le Creuset / 5. Wild Peak / 6. Visions / 7. Green Pan / 8. Always Pan

Your Comprehensive Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware

I’m lucky to live in a neighborhood with lots of great restaurants that are “healthful.” I put that word in quotes because while organic French fries cooked in trans-fat free oil are better than what you’ll get at McDonald’s, they aren’t exactly kale chips.

So we try to cook at home most nights. My husband is actually much more of a chef than I am, so he is the one who purchases most of our pots and pans (and woks and stockpots and mandolins and 87 different knives…he loves kitchen gadgets!).

As with many products in our home (from toilet paper to shampoo), Daylon is primarily worried about the performance of his cookware, and I am mainly worried about the safety.

My Top Pick for Less-Stick Cookware

Xtrema‘s non-toxic cookware is my favorite, because while I can’t call it non-stick, it is “less stick.”
Buy now from Xtrema

Are There Toxins in Cookware?

Unfortunately, pots and pans might be introducing toxins into your food as you cook. The big takeaway from our research is that most types of cookware do infuse small amounts of material into our food. Some of those things are bad for us, some are good in the right quantity, and some are neutral.

And as much as we should avoid toxins in what we breathe and touch, we REALLY should avoid eating them! For this reason, many of you have asked about safe, non-toxic cookware.

I hope this guide helps you decide what cookware to eliminate, and what non-toxic cookware to buy when it’s time for new pots and pans.

(Please note: We will cover bakeware in a separate Safe Product Guide. Stay tuned!)

Safe Non-toxic Cookware: Types of Cookware

Pots and pans come in a wide range of materials. Part of the reason that this guide has been months in the making is that reviewing cookware for safety is complicated! Some cookware materials are okay, if you have the right variety, or if you don’t use them every day.

To simplify things, I’ve indicated by the color of the text if the material is always good (green), always bad (red), or more nuanced (orange) in my list below. Orange means that the material can be Good Stuff under certain circumstances, but caution should be exercised:

• Carbon steel
• Ceramic
• Lava rock
• Porcelain enamel
• Tempered glass
• Cast iron
• Stainless steel
• Titanium
• Aluminum
• Copper
• Non-stick/Teflon
• Plastic
• Clay

For more details on these materials, and the brands we like most (and which brands should be avoided), check out the Good, Bad, and Sneaky brands here:

The Good Stuff

The Absolute Best in Non-Toxic Cookware

What About GreenPan and the Always Pan?

We originally called GreenPan Sneaky Stuff, because they don’t disclose exactly what they use in their nonstick cookware line. They’ve recently provided the results of independent tests, and these are hugely reassuring regarding contamination with heavy metals.

GreenPan’s nonstick coating is the proprietary Thermion, which is “made by a Sol-Gel process that results in forming a coating layer on the surface of the pan. This layer comprises mainly Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), which is the same composition as glass.” We are now comfortable calling GreenPan Good Stuff!

As for the Always Pan, they are slightly less transparent than GreenPan, but they have disclosed the independent testing that reveals that their pan doesn’t contain heavy metals. It looks to me like they are using the same exact technology (Sol-Gel) as GreenPan. While we’d love them to be more transparent, we can’t call them Bad Stuff or Sneaky Stuff.

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The Bad Stuff

The Sneaky Stuff

 

The Best Nontoxic Teakettle

Lots of you have asked about the best non-toxic teakettle. Our picks are Xtrema, Staub, or Cuisinox, with the latter being the one we use in our own kitchens.

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The post Safe Non-Toxic Cookware Guide appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Written by Maia, President

As I’ve mentioned a bunch, my husband and I recently bought a property in Lancaster, PA, which we are renovating to be a non-toxic retreat. Because I’ve lived in New York City my whole adult life, it’s been fun to spend so much time in the ‘burbs–I love sending the kids out to play in a yard, the drive-through Starbucks, and the crazy wide aisles in the grocery store.

But the very best part of the #burblife might be Costco, where I get jumbo bags of organic grapefruit, a year’s-worth of toilet paper at once (and here’s why I secretly don’t by the recycled kind), and….Ziploc bags! While Ziplocs don’t have BPA or phthalates, plastic is plastic, and Ziploc baggies are obviously not an earth-friendly purchase. So here’s what I want to know: what do you guys use instead of plastic baggies? (My issue with most of the reusable ones–like this–is that they have a plastic liner.)

Other than Ziploc baggies, our food storage is plastic-free.

Plastic-Free Food Storage Ideas

Instead of plastic wrap:
Bees Wrap has been a game-changer in our house for wrapping bread, cheese, and vegetables…or covering bowls of leftovers.

Instead of Tupperware:
I like Pyrex and Wean glass containers to store leftovers, especially since they can go straight from fridge to stove or microwave.

For packing lunches:
Felix gets his sandwich in this Bee’s Wrap, his yogurt in this Eco Vessel, and berries, carrot sticks, or pasta in this LunchBots stainless steel container. His water goes in this Pura Kiki.

Please comment below with what you use in place of Ziplock bags, and other plastic-free food storage ideas!

Stay sane,

P.S. I recently learned about Stasher silicone bags…could this be a solution for plastic-free breast milk storage? If you’ve tried them, let me know!

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Written by Maia, President

After my recent blog post about BPA-free cans, and which brands are actually safe (hint: only one brand is!), a lot of you asked about boxed beans, wondering if these are a better bet. We set out to research the materials in these packaging used for boxed beans, and to find out if it’s Good Stuff, or at least Better Stuff for those of us looking to avoid canned products (but who has the time to soak and cook dry beans!).

Aseptic Packaging: Good Stuff?

All of the brands that we researched (Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Pacific Foods, and Imagine) use aseptic packaging, commonly a brand called Tetra Pak, for their boxed items–including beans, soups, and chicken stock, and more.

Aseptic cartons are shelf-stable and protect the taste of the food inside while being much lighter than cans. These cartons are made with three basic materials:

1. Paper, to provide strength and stiffness.
2. Polyethylene, a type of plastic that makes packages liquid-tight and protects against microorganisms.
3. Aluminum foil, to keep out air and light.

In Tetra Paks, these materials are alternated to produce a six-layered package, and the only material that touches the food inside the box is the polyethelene. You know I’m not a fan of plastic of any kind, but polyethelene is a “good” plastic–it appears to be non-leaching and nontoxic, and thus is a definite improvement over the BPA and other resins used in canned beans (the exception being canned beans by Eden Organics, as I explained in my other post).

Glass should still be the first choice if you are purchasing packaged products, but boxed beans and soups are a great alternative to their toxic canned counterparts.

Stay sane,

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The post Are Tetra Paks Nontoxic and Safe? appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Written by Maia, President

(First, read my disclosures page.)

When I recently read some posts on social media that lauded companies that aren’t using BPA in the linings of their cans, I couldn’t help but wonder…what are these companies using instead? So one of my staffers spent the last couple of weeks calling the makers of products that come in BPA-free cans—she asked questions about the materials they use, and then I did some digging about the safety of these materials.

Are any of these canned goods truly Good Stuff, or is it just a bunch more Sneaky Stuff?

Here’s what I found out.

What Is Bisphenol-A?

For those of you who still aren’t sure what BPA stands for or is or why it’s scary, here’s what you need to know:

1. It’s bad. BPA stands for bisphenol-A, and it’s a plastic-softener that is an established toxin. BPA exposure is linked to things like asthma, sexual dysfunction, breast cancer, and obesity.
2. It’s everywhere. BPA is pervasive—it’s in hard plastic, on receipts, and even in recycled toilet paper. It’s also in the lining of most cans (where it’s used as an epoxy resin). It’s also used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles. BPA is particularly prone to leaching when heated (during pasteurization) or when it comes in contact with acidic foods.
3. Small amounts matter. You don’t need to be exposed to large amounts of BPA in order for it to be toxic. In fact, low-level exposure may actually be worse than high-level!

Related post: Are Tetra Paks Nontoxic and Safe?

What About BPA Replacements?

So clearly we don’t want BPA touching our food, particularly food that’s acidic (like tomatoes). But consumers usually aren’t aware that many BPA-free products contain a different bisphenol, such as bisphenol S (BPS), which may actually be worse than BPA, bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), bisphenol F (BPF), or bisphenol F diglycidyl ether (BFDGE). For this reason, I tell my clients to avoid all plastics as much as possible when it comes to food storage and preparation.

But what about canned foods from companies that advertise their packaging as BPA-free? What are they using instead, and is it safe? Here’s the deal…

Companies Using BPA-Free Cans…What Are They Using Instead?

• 

  Glass should be the first choice for food storage.

  Amy’s told us that their BPA-free can liner is proprietary, an answer that I never like to hear!

  • What Amy’s uses instead of BPA: The most we could get out of them is they use an “acrylic polyester blend.”
  • My take: Any company that won’t disclose specific materials or ingredients is Sneaky in my book. Moreover, while acrylic and polyester aren’t highly toxic ingredients, they are types of petroleum-based thermoplastic, and as such release plastic vapors. I would rather they not touch my food.

• Farmer’s Market Foods said their cans are free of BPA and BPS.
  • What Farmer’s Market Foods use instead of BPA: “Several versions of polyester, polyester powder, and modified polyester.”
  • My take: This answer is a little vague to bring much comfort, although as stated above, polyester is a less toxic type of plastic. While I would probably choose this brand over say, Goya, it’s definitely not Good Stuff.

• Bionaturae cans do not contain any bisphenols (BPA, BPS, etc.).
  • What Bionaturae uses instead of BPA: A polyester plastic coating.
  • My take: See my comments above on polyester (it’s Sneaky Stuff, basically). I do love the Bionaturae strained tomatoes in the glass jar, and will continue to buy those.

• Crown Prince Seafood advertises some of their products as coming in BPA-free cans.
  • What Crown Prince uses instead of BPA: Vinyl organosol lacquer.
  • My take: Yikes. Vinyl is really bad stuff, linked with cancer. In addition, some epoxies made from vinyl organosol contain other bisphenols (such as BADGE). This is definitely Sneaky Stuff.

• Muir Glen is one of the brands I have bought for years, somehow implicitly trusting them.
  • What Muir Glen uses instead of BPA: Vinyl triazine.
  • My take: See my comments above on vinyl. I am unable to find much information on vinyl triazine specifically, but as I stated above, vinyl is Bad Stuff, making Muir Glen Sneaky.

• Westbrae Natural calls their coating “food-grade epoxy.”
  • What Westbrae Natural uses instead of BPA: Polyester and/or acrylic.
  • My take: See my comments above (under “Amy’s”).

• Wild Planet Foods has been promising us an answer on what exactly they use in their cans for weeks. I will update this post when we get the list from them.
  • What Wild Planet uses instead of BPA: All we know at the moment is that “different cans contain different materials.”
  • My take: For now, I am calling Wild Planet Sneaky Stuff, especially because a few years ago they discovered that their fish contains trace amounts of BPA, despite not using it in their cans. Presumably, it was introduced at some point during the manufacturing process.

The Good Stuff

There was only one brand of all of the ones we researched that qualifies as Good Stuff: Eden Organics, which has been quietly using BPA-free lining since 1999. Instead of using BPS, vinyl, acrylic, or polyester to line the cans for their beans, Eden chose the more expensive “baked-on oleoresinous c-enamel,” which is a form of plant resin. Unfortunately, this enamel doesn’t work well for acidic foods, so Eden’s canned tomato products should be avoided, as those linings contain BPA.

You can buy Eden beans on Thrive for wholesale prices:

• Eden Organic Kidney Beans
• Eden Organic Black Beans

So What Should You Do?

I have been working to eliminate my family’s exposure to BPA in our home—my logic is that we eat in restaurants enough to get our fair share there, where I have no control over which canned products are used to make our meal.

Here’s how you can reduce your family’s BPA exposure from canned foods:

1. First, you’ll want to prepare your food from the freshest and least processed/packaged possible source. Dried organic beans will be much less likely to be contaminated with hormone disruptors than will their canned cousins. Along the same lines, fresh pastured chicken from a local butcher will be better than chicken packaged in plastic. You get the idea.
2. When choosing things in packages, glass is my first choice. Keep in mind that the plastic lids used to seal glass jars do contain BPA, so I don’t scrape the extra tomato sauce off the inside of the lid anymore!
3. When I do buy canned beans, I always choose the Eden Organics brand. When it comes to tomatoes, I try my hardest to get only the kind in glass. If that’s not an option, I’ll go for the Bionature cans, since Eden cans contain BPA and Muir Glen contains vinyl.
4. Instead of canned tuna, I am opting for this kind for the time being.

Stay sane,

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The post BPA-Free Cans: What Are They Using Instead? appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Written by Maia, President

My husband is a stem cell research scientist, and people always find this impressive. And yes, I definitely find myself bragging about it whenever everyone else is talking about their husbands’ work in private equity or whatever. But secretly I find most topics around stem cell research to be kind of boring, or at least too esoteric to enjoy in my current sleep-deprived state.

Unless of course stem cell research is focused on autism. And BPA. Turns out my husband’s colleague is studying both of these things, and so I stalked him down to have a chat.  Here’s what I learned from Dr. Christopher Fasano, Director of Research & Development at the Neural Stem Cell Institute, about BPA’s possible links to autism, whether BPA substitutes are safe (nope), and how we can avoid exposing ourselves to this havoc-wreaking toxin.

Dr. Christopher Fasano

MAIA JAMES: What does BPA have to do with stem cells?!

CHRISTOPHER FASANO: Stem cells have the ability to turn into every cell in our body. In my lab, we take stem cells and guide them down the path of brain development so we can better understand the events that occur. The brain is a tremendously complex structure and its fetal development must occur in a precise way at the precise time. Anything that alters this can result in severe problems like miscarriage, mental retardation, to more subtle–but still serious–disorders, such as autism. In a human, the brain begins to develop at around the fourth week of pregnancy; that is super early. Because of this, it has been really difficult to understand these early stages and to investigate what happens when we come into contact with toxins, like BPA. With a whole bunch of evidence suggesting BPA and other environmental toxins can have an affect on brain development in animal models, testing this directly in a human system is so important. That is what we do in my lab. We have created a model of human brain development in the culture dish, and are investigating how toxins like BPA might mess with brain development.

MJ: Wow. So are you finding that BPA does in fact mess with brain development?

CF: Unfortunately yes. Now, I must stress this is a model of human brain development created in the lab. But, our preliminary data suggests that BPA exposure during the early periods of fetal development can affect brain development.

MJ: Ugh, so what sort of diseases might be related to BPA exposure?

CF: BPA exposure has been linked to numerous diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, male impotence, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

MJ: What other chemicals are hormone-disruptors, and can you explain in simple terms what a “hormone-disruptor” even is?

CF: Hormones travel through the body and act as chemical messengers.  Like a lock and key, hormones will bind to specific receptors to bring about their function. Hormones are secreted in response to the environmental and to orchestrate developmental and reproductive changes. Hormones can have a big effect in small doses, thus they need to be tightly regulated and any small disturbance can lead to big changes. Hormonal balance plays a critical role in the reproductive process thus alterations early in development can have dire consequences. Hormone disruptors are chemicals that at certain doses, can interfere with the hormone system in mammals. HDs have very similar structures to hormones in our body, thus tricking our body into thinking there is more or less hormone present.  BPA looks remarkably similar to the hormone estrogen and can severely alter the estrogen-signaling pathway, which in turn can cause some of the problems I mentioned.

Bottom line: Avoid ALL plastic

MJ: Okay, so it sounds like BPA is definitely scary stuff, but it seems more and more that plastic products don’t contain it. If a baby bottle says “BPA free,” is it safe? 

CF: No. In fact, studies show they may be worse than a bottle produced with BPA!  If a product is going out of their way to tell you that it is “something free,” you should always question what they have done to make it that way. For example, a lot of companies have replaced BPA with BPS. BPS is virtually the same thing and in fact, studies show that BPS shows a relative inability to biodegrade, which may mean that once it is absorbed into the human body it may stay for a longer period of time. In addition, it is more likely to persist in the environment making external exposure to these toxic fumes more common place.  I always tell people to make a conscious effort to avoid plastic all together if you can, at least pregnant women and young babies.  And whatever you do, never microwave plastic bottles or containers as the BPA and BPS are released 55 times more rapidly when heated.

MJ: So aside from plastics, are there other high sources of BPA (or BPS) exposure that readers might not already know about?

CF: Shopping, ATM, and gas receipts have really high levels. Canned foods. Oh yeah, toilet paper…remember those receipts I mentioned? A lot of them get recycled into toilet paper. Pizza boxes, blenders, food processors.  You get the idea. It’s everywhere.

Switch to stainless steel sippy cups and bottles

MJ: Ugh again. So is the situation hopeless or can we actually affect our exposure to this stuff?

CF: I wouldn’t say it’s hopeless, but it takes vigilance. There are some easy things you can do, and some more difficult ones. Drink tap water, or use stainless steel or glass water bottles. Avoid using plastic utensils. Stay away from microwaveable meals that come out plastic containers and stick to freshly prepared foods. Do not store your food in plastic Tupperware. Instead of using a plastic coffee maker or getting some from you local corner coffee shop, use a French press or an all glass coffee maker. And one of the hardest…avoid all canned foods. For your children, avoid as many plastic toys as possible, and if you must use plastics avoid the ones with the numbers 3, 6, and 7, on the product.

Even if you follow all of these, BPA will inevitably show up in your body; traces of it are found in random places, like eggs and milk. However, following these suggestions will definitely help.

MJ: Thanks so much for sharing this grim information with us! Seriously, though, this is super important. Where can we learn more and how can we support your work?

CF: The Environmental Protection Agency has a lot of information on BPA and other toxins and how it can affect your health. Of course sites like Gimme the Good Stuff are a great resource as well. For more information on my current research regarding BPA and brain disease, feel free to contact me at chrisfasano@neuralsci.org.

Stay sane,

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The post What’s More Dangerous Than BPA? An interview with Dr. Chris Fasano, Stem Cell Scientist appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Well, Felix’s first year of preschool is officially over. He’s now enjoying three weeks of day camp–a bizarre concept in New York City, where “camp” takes place on a rooftop playground on Park Avenue rather than in a freezing cold, leach-ridden lake as it did during my childhood.

I’m due to deliver my second baby in four short weeks, and the beginning of July will find us in my home-state of Vermont, where I’ll no doubt spend my time breastfeeding roughly 23 hours a day, and Felix will play with his grandparents and partake in another day camp (hopefully in a freezing cold, leach-ridden lake!).

One thing that all of these summer activities require is a packed lunch—all new territory for me (Felix has never been in school later than 11:45 a.m. until now).

As tempting as it is to stock up on Trader Joe’s packaged snacks to send with him every day, I am trying to do some real food, too—Felix will actually eat quinoa with butter and Tamari even if it’s cold, and tomorrow I’m even going to try a bit of steamed broccoli. Because I take such care to make sure his food is healthful, it would be counterproductive to pack it into containers that might leach phthalates and heavy metals into his lunch.

I know all about the problems with plastic storage containers, baggies, and cling wrap, and I recently learned that the plastic lunchboxes we all toted around in the 80’s might also be full of fun things like phthalates and lead.  At home, we love glass food storage containers–but we all know that kids and glass is not always a good combo, so I needed a better option for Felix’s lunches.

Safe Lunchbox from Petite Collage

These eco-friendly lunch boxes feature a wipeable cotton canvas exterior coated with a protective solvent-free biodegradable laminate made from sugar cane.

Padded and insulated, they keep snacks and lunches tasting just right. The padded carry handle fits into small hands and an adjustable chest strap clips on and off easily. The interior mesh pocket is perfect for holding utensils and ice packs.

It gives me peace of mind to send Felix off to camp with (mostly) healthful lunch foods packed in a nontoxic lunchbox. Surely he’s trading quinoa for Oreos with some unsuspecting friend, but at least I won’t know about it.

I wish you all a sane summer!

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The post Lunch Boxes Are Toxic, Too appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.