SIGG CEO: I'm Sorry

Steve Wasik: "I am writing to apologize.

As Chief Executive Officer of SIGG, a leading maker of reusable water bottles, I made a mistake when I decided not to announce that our old bottle liner contained trace amounts of bisphenol A. I learned about the liner's content in 2006, when there was debate in the scientific community about the effects of BPA. Scientists lined up on both sides of the issue: Some said BPA posed potential health risks, others said BPA was perfectly safe."

Unveil an independently managed grant program to help fund BPA and chemical research that will help eliminate confusion and concern about this issue. While we have moved away from BPA in SIGG products, it continues to be used in countless products that we all use each day. If it poses a real threat, we want to help curb its use.

SIGG Website apology

Why I Don’t Give A Damn About The BPA in Sigg Water Bottles

Wend Magazine: "So, what’s a CEO to do? From looking at these studies, BPA sure doesn’t seem to be a big deal. Even the most dedicated World of Warcraft players can’t drink 940 cans of soda a day. The problem is that perception is reality, especially when the media latches on to an issue like BPA leaching, making it a darling."

So why don’t I care about Sigg?

BPA is everywhere. It’s not just in the Sigg bottles of old. It’s not just in baby bottles. It’s in thousands and thousands of food products we consume everyday. It seems that the outrage should be aimed at every company who puts food or drink in an epoxy lined can.

Assembly delays vote on infant health safety measure

latimes.com: "The California Assembly put off a final vote on whether to ban the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from baby bottles and infant formula and baby food containers Wednesday after an emotional debate over children's safety.

The measure, favored by a 35-31 vote, twice fell short of 41 necessary for passage. It was scheduled to come up for another vote today.

A ferocious lobbying battle over the legislation pitted public health and education groups against chemical, pharmaceutical and packaging giants, and was closely watched around the nation amid similar movements to ban the chemical."

Why We Must Ban BPA From Products Made For Children

Harvey Karp:: "The problem is, BPA leaches off the wall of the cans and containers and into our mouths - and our babies' mouths - and into our bodies with every gulp.

In 2007, the CDC reported that over 93 percent of Americans have BPA floating through our bodies. That's a concern because BPA is an endocrine disruptor chemical. That means that even miniscule concentrations of this compound can pervert the normal development of hormonally sensitive tissues, like breast, testicles and brain.

Hundreds of studies on laboratory animals reveal that BPA promotes obesity, diabetes, testicular cancer, breast cancer-like changes (and resistance to life saving chemotherapy) and even reduce sperm counts. This is very worrisome because, over the past 20 years, scientists have noticed rising rates of these problems in people all around the world. In the recently launched National Children's Study, America's monumental evaluation of the adverse health effects of common chemicals, BPA is one of the suspect compounds being evaluated for possible association with autism, cancer, learning disorders, etc."

Home Canning versus Bisphenol A

MamaStories: "But consider factory-canned foods and bisphenol A, the stuff that got banned from baby bottles. One of my favorite watchdogs, the Environmental Working Group, determined that almost all factory-canned foods and beverages have bisphenol A in them, simply because most cans are lined with bisphenol A epoxy resin as a sealant (here). That not just in the can, but in the food.

Infants and young children are at greater risk because of their small size and developing bodies. Studies of laboratory animals or cultured human cells have shown exposure to bisphenol A can cause neural and behavioral changes, precancerous growths in breast and prostate tissues, early onset puberty and other effects at very low doses. In addition, bisphenol A crosses the placenta and has been found in amniotic fluid and umbilical cord tissue, showing that there is no prenatal protection from a mother’s exposure. (here)

Recent reports from the National Institute for Environmental Health conclude that there is concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current levels of exposure to BPA. Presently, there are no recommended minimum exposure limits for infants or children. More research is also needed to understand all the health effects that may be associated with exposure to Bisphenol A. (here)

But we’ve been consuming it since the ’30s."

Vote near on banning chemical from some baby products

ContraCostaTimes.com: "On Tuesday the Assembly will vote on SB 797, which would ban the use of a chemical in feeding products and packaging designed for children under 3 years old by 2011.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a hormone-disrupting chemical that acts like an estrogen in the body and is widely used in shatter-proof plastic baby bottles, sipping cups and the lining of formula cans.

It leaches out of containers and into food and drink consumed by babies and youth, said Assemblywomen Fran Pavley, D-Santa Monica, who authored the bill.

Exposure to the toxin could cause neurological effects and increase the chance of cancer, she said."