Bpa Free Plastics (Not Pampered Chef) Question

[babywings76]

Is storing food in containers that aren't declared BPA free a bad idea? I know you don't want to heat food in containers that aren't BPA free and I've heard it's bad to consume a lot of canned products because cans are lined with BPA, so is storing any food, any temp. bad in a container that may not be BPA-free?

 

[NooraK]

This article isn't about food storage, it's about receipts. Of course, the ink in receipts rubs off fairly easily, and is a bit different from a plastic container, but it's got some good information:

BPA in Store Receipts | Environmental Working Group

Here are several resources and stores about BPA in cans, specifically. From what I saw there are advocacy groups against the idea, but no scientific showing (at least yet) that it leaches to food if not heated.

http://www.google.com/search?q=bpa+food+cans&hl=en&gbv=2&gs_l=heirloom-hp.3...1157.10250.0.10703.20.17.3.0.0.0.110.1359.12j4.16.0...0.0...1c.1.8kzsXEd0E4o&oq=bpa+food+cans

 

[babywings76]

Thanks, Noora. I had read about receipts a while ago and forgot about that article!I'm making a bunch of homemade mixes: brownies, Bisquick, taco seasoning, Ranch mix, Dry Onion Soup mix, etc. I'm trying to get away from processed foods and preservatives and especially trying to avoid MSG. So here I've found all these recipes for it and am trying to decide what to buy to store things in so my cupboards can look nice, but I just wasn't sure if I should go with the Mainstays large plastic canisters from Walmart or go with glass canisters. (I worry that the glass is just too heavy or risk of kids dropping it, etc. Right now I'm trying to just save glass jars as I use them (applesauce and spaghetti sauces, etc.), wash them, and then put my mixes in them. I also went through my cupboards and discovered that I have whole wheat flour and bread baking flour that is wayyyy old and it's stored in those nice rectangular Tupperware containers. So I'm going to just dump the old contents, wash, and reuse those. But...as I find more mixes and stuff, I need to find larger canisters because tupperware is too expensive for me right now.Here's a couple of the sites I'm using for the mixes recipes in case anyone is curious:
Heart, Hands, Home: Mix recipesSelf-Reliance by Jamie: Tis the Seasonings. . .

 

[esavvymom]

Mason-canning jars are great for storage also. I don't know how much your mixes are making, but they do sell them in 1/2 gallon sizes too. (but usually I can only find those online at places like Kitchen Kraft). Those are pretty sturdy. I like them also because they are slender.And I have used this book for making quick mixes. The nice thing is, it gives a bunch of recipes for those mixes that I can reference.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0762426020/?tag=pfamazon01-20
I know the other is free, but wasn't sure how many recipes she gives for using the mixes. This thread reminds me that I need to make up more!!I love that lady's pantry! The glass jars make the food look so pretty! (Heart, Hands, Home - under the "Storage").

 

[babywings76]

Here's an article about BPA in cans.
http://www.greenlivingeco.com/bpa-in-cans/Here's a timeline about BPA through the years:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bpatimelineAnd on the flip side, here is a site that links to a bunch of articles that basically come down to saying the whole BPA thing isn't something to worry about. http://www.stats.org/stats_bpa_articles.htmlI haven't read everything yet, so I don't really know if it's something to be really obsessed about avoiding, but if I can, I figure I'll try.

 

[esavvymom]

I figure, whatever I can reduce, eliminate, or avoid is better than nothing. When you factor the cumulative affect of all of the toxins we are exposed to in our "modern world"....it adds up! Reduce what you can to hopefully reduce the impact at least some!Between pesticides/chemicals IN our food, BPA, and our bodies constantly being exposed to the radio waves in the area from our electronics, wireless/bluetooth devices, etc. Seems like a losing war, but I can at least make a decent stand in a battle or two, right?