467907 Sun Dec 09 14:55:08 -0800 2007 15 41 Cookware 0 3193183 In recent years I seem to recall alerts saying that toxins leak out of plastic in the microwave and have noticed several brands of plastic ware, such as Rubbermaid, encoding many lines of their products as microwave safe. Is it safe to the plastic to use in the microwave since it won't melt or is it somehow treated in a way that will be safe to eat the food heated in the plastic. Any final verdict? Sun Dec 09 14:55:08 -0800 2007 16128 Windsor 1 3195123 Here in Canada Mountain Equipment Co-op just pulled all their Nalgene bottles from store shelves because of concerns about Bisphenol A. There are concerns about increased cancer risks...and MEC pulled the bottles until the testing has been completed. For years there have been rumors and whatnot about plastics leaching into food in the microwave but I don't know that major studies have been done to prove things one way or the other. FWIW we microwave things in ceramics and use plastic microwave covers (that don't come into contact with the food). We bought Nalgene bottles in an effort to cut back on our use of single-serve water bottles (evian etc) so it's disappointing to hear they could be unsafe. As for washing water bottles, Liz if you mean the thin plastic ones in convenience stores, they were meant for a single use so I'd think the plastics would break down significantly under the high heat of the dishwasher, and if they're not washed and reused they're a breeding ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria. Story about Nalgene bottles being pulled from MEC: http://www.660news.com/news/topstory/article.jsp;jsessionid=FPEBOGIPOJLI?content=20071207_090301_2632 Mon Dec 10 09:44:25 -0800 2007 3193190 138472 maplesugar 2 3195530 Have you seen Sigg bottles? I've switched from Nalgene to them. http://www.mysigg.com/ The biggest problem with them is they're really noisy if you drop them and they dent (and issue at schools). Mon Dec 10 11:31:32 -0800 2007 3195123 39874 chowser 3 3195589 If you're a stickler, plastic used over microwaving food gets steam on it and the condensate drips down...I put a ceramic plate on top of a ceramic bowl, works great. Mon Dec 10 11:48:43 -0800 2007 3195530 72002 chowsearch 3 3196181 Thanks chowser, I have seen the Sigg bottles, I looked at mysigg.com back in September when I was trying to choose a reusable bottle for my DD who is in 1st grade. Back then MEC put out a notice that their bottles were safe so we chose a Camelback bottle (straw instead of cap) for her to take to school.. now I'm thinking we're switching to sigg or another metal bottle. Mon Dec 10 14:21:56 -0800 2007 3195530 138472 maplesugar 3 3198908 I was looking at the Sigg bottles at The Big Carrot but then I wondered about the safety of an aluminum container - or is it only cooking with aluminum that's meant to be harmful? Tue Dec 11 12:20:23 -0800 2007 3195530 10196 peppermint pate 4 3200052 I've read there's a possibility that cooking high acidic food might cause it to leach but haven't read anything definitive about it. FWIW, according to the Sigg site, they've been tested and have a 0.00% leach rate. I'll take Sigg over Nalgene for now. Tue Dec 11 18:12:39 -0800 2007 3198908 39874 chowser 5 3207120 Nalgene bottles have also been tested for leaching and determined to be food safe. I don't know why MEC has pulled them now because there is no new research linking problems with poly carbonate bottles and every other government regulatory body in the world has deemed them safe. I find it highly unlikely that the Canadian government will find anything new. It's true you shouldn't eat bisphenol A, but is it safe to eat any plastic? Is it safe to eat non-stick coatings? Is it safe to eat paint? But to the original poster's question: I don' heat any plastic in the microwave because maximum recommended temps. can be exceeded under certain conditions (fat heats up more) so I just don't chance it. Same with non-stick coatings. Fri Dec 14 03:02:31 -0800 2007 3200052 64834 crawfish 5 3207747 There was a story years ago that there might be a link between aluminum cookware and Alzheimer's. The link was discredited but the story has persisted. There are many microwave safe plastics, although some can be easily ruined by high-fat foods. Again, there were stories about "some" plastics, or chemicals used only in the manufacturing process, which people assumed to mean "all" consumer plastics. These have been discredited like the aluminum story but they continue to make the rounds. This is an extremely litigeous society. If plastics were harmful in MWs, would all of those billions of microwave meals be packaged in plastic, opening food companies to thousands of law suits every year? Fri Dec 14 09:02:50 -0800 2007 3200052 32444 MakingSense 3 3198947 i love my sigg bottle too. are schools banning them now? why? Tue Dec 11 12:30:38 -0800 2007 3195530 46030 soupkitten 4 3200042 No, sorry, I edited the rest of that thought by mistake. schools aren't banning them. My kids don't like to bring them to school because they can be noisy in a quiet (haha) classroom if you're not careful when you put them down. And, it makes a loud clatter if you accidently kick them. Tue Dec 11 18:08:31 -0800 2007 3198947 39874 chowser 5 3201049 gotcha. i did drop mine down a short flight of concrete stairs once. it was a gawdawful clamor! :) Wed Dec 12 07:24:02 -0800 2007 3200042 46030 soupkitten 2 3199961 MEC still carries Nalgene HDPE bottles. It is just the Lexan ones that have this potential problem. I think concern first surfaced in the context of lab ware that was washed in harsh detergents. If you are going to worry about Lexan drinking bottles, look else where in your kitchen. Your Cuisinart food processor bowl may be Lexan. MEC still carries GSI Lexan coffee grinders, peppermill, spice bottles, bowls. paulj Tue Dec 11 17:37:23 -0800 2007 3195123 12139 paulj 3 3201639 I hate stories like this! What you report is totally different from the news story linked to by maplesuger that says MEC "...has stopped selling one of its most popular products...is pulling Nalgene water bottles and other plastic products." and maplesuger reports the story as exactly what its says: ALL of the bottles but then extrapolates it to ALL plastics. One company does something, one media outlet does a half-way job of reporting it, some postings on CH, and pretty soon those who googles Nalgene will start talking about it, and everyone will throw out their Tupperware because of fears of Bispherol-A. Will this be the new Teflon story that will live forever? Wed Dec 12 09:58:47 -0800 2007 3199961 32444 MakingSense 2 3200169 Not exactly increased cancer risks. There ARE however some concerns that no one is quite sure of yet. MEC might have acted precipitously. In the US, the levels are way below EPA allowable levels but the issue is still being looked at. There's a good article in National Geographic's Green Guide with information on studies that have been done and why you may want to be cautious in certain circumstances, although much of it is stuff you should be doing anyway. A good list on steps you can take. http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa Tue Dec 11 18:54:23 -0800 2007 3195123 32444 MakingSense 1 3204424 Hi Guys, There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace right now. The bottom line is that any aluminum bottle is lined with epoxy which is a plastic resin. To the best of my knowledge there is only one wide mouth stainless steel bottle on the market which has the same threads as a Nalgene. Please check them out at www.guyotdesigns.com. They are really sturdy and you can boil water in ‘em. Thu Dec 13 07:11:33 -0800 2007 3193183 124922 Sloanelizabeth