Bottom's up

I'm not sure if any of you ever noticed all the different kinds of markings at the bottom of some plastic items?
Well, I'm going to tell you what they mean and which ones you should try to avoid- unless you are fond of the non biodegradable chemicals that may leach from the plastic into your food... into your body.


Here is the list of symbols. You should find at least one on all plastic products you buy. (Some may have 2 if made up of different parts, i.e.: the plastic bottle lid is different from the bottle itself).

You should not buy food products packed in plastic that does not have any markings on it! And you should also make the shop buyer aware that so they can inform their supplier - who more than likely bought cheap to make an extra buck.... at the expense of your health!
(Many of the bottles that line our supermarket shelves are NOT marked here in SA)


So, you may never have heard of a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA), but odds are it’s circulating in your body if you are older than 6 years old.
Plastic is the most widely used material these days, and it crops up in everything from toys to clothes to food containers. But not all plastics are created equal, particularly in regards to food storage: Some plastics can transmit chemicals into your food, while others are perfectly safe.
Before you know which type of plastic container to buy, you first need to know how to tell them apart. Plastics are typically classified by a number from #1 to #7, each number representing a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you'll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.

Here's a quick breakdown of plastic resin types:

#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
Product examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles, cough-syrup bottles
#1 bottles and containers are fine for SINGLE USE! Water and soda bottles in particular are hard to clean, and because plastic is porous, these bottles absorb flavors and bacteria that you can't get rid of.
Many people reuse these as water bottles, rather don't. Get yourself a glass bottle instead.


 #2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/
Product examples: Milk jugs, toys, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles
#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)
Product examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags
#5 polypropylene (PP)
Product examples: Syrup bottles, yogurt cups/tubs, diapers
#2HDPE, #4LDPE and #5PP
These three types of plastic are the healthiest. They transmit no known chemicals into your food

 #3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
Product examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes.
#3 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is often used frequently in cling wraps for meat. However, PVC contains softeners called phthalates that interfere with hormonal development. Vinyl chloride, the primary building block of PVC, is a known human carcinogen.
Try get meat direct from your butcher. Buy glass bottled cooking oil.


#6 polystyrene (PS)
Product examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers.
Extruded polystyrene (#6 PS; commonly known as Styrofoam) is used in take-out containers and cups, and Non-extruded PS is used in clear disposable take-out containers, disposable plastic cutlery and cups.
Both forms of PS can leach styrene into food; styrene is considered a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It may also disrupt hormones or affect reproduction.
(How often have you seen small kids eating the edges of these PS cups at parties!! If you have small Kids then perhaps #2 Plastic cups are a much better option at your next Kids birthday party!)


 #7 other (misc.; usually polycarbonate, or PC, but also polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources)
Product examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers, medical storage containers.

#7 Polycarbonate (PC) is found in baby bottles, 20lt water bottles, water-cooler bottles and the epoxy linings of tin food cans. PC is composed of a hormone-disrupting chemical called bisphenol A, which has been linked to a wide variety of problems such as cancer and obesity. ( in October 2011 BPA plastics in the production of BABY BOTTLES was banned in South Africa.... but still check because you know that many retailers care more about a quick buck than the law!) Read about SA Gov. ban on baby BPA

A scientific panel of advisors comprised in 2005 appointed by a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH - usa) has concluded that the leaching of BPA could pose some very real, very serious health risks. At enormous risk are pregnant women, fetuses, infants and children, where even small amounts were shown to cause changes in neurological growth and behavioral problems such as hyperactivity , ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disorders . Animal studies have linked serious alterations to brain development caused by the estrogen-like chemicals of BPA, causing pre-cancerous changes in the mammary glands and damaging the uterus. BPA was also shown to affect the female reproductive system in other dire manifestations including; fibroids, endometriosis, cystic ovaries and cancers. In the U.S. and Japan researchers have detected BPA in fetal amniotic fluid and umbilical cords of newborns. Other studies have found links to prostate and breast cancer. In Europe, the European Union has banned a chemically related substance called Phthalates from children's products.

BPA is found in so many household products alone, but here are a few steps you can take to reduce your contact.
* Don't use plastic cling wrap, use waxed paper or paper towels.

* Don't use plastic containers in microwaves. Use glass or ceramic. (Lol!! Also... don't use a Microwave: Read here )

    * Use non- polycarbonate plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene. Most major plastic consumer goods manufacturers now offer non-polycarbonate alternatives for drinking bottles, microwave bowls, and plastic liners.

* You can check for BPA in the plastics you buy by looking for the # 7 stamped on the surface.

* Cut down on canned foods. To keep food from reacting with the metal of the can, a plastic coating made from bisphenol A is commonly applied to the inside of the can. This coating appears as a solid color on the inside of the can, and can leach into the food stored inside.



Storage containers with the food safe logo on them are cool to use:
                                                  




Here is that breakdown again:

And finally, I found this quick video that gives a general run-down of all the info above:
Check it out:

Cheers!
Andrew

Milk..... or whatever its called...

 Are you buying rBST free Milk?

You might ask, "Andrew, What is RBST?"

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), also known as Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST) is a Genetically Engineered copy of a naturally occurring hormone produced by cows. It is injected into a cow to artificially maintain her milk production. Basically once a cow has baby cows her milk production is much higher - in order to feed her calf. So, what Monsanto have done is develop an artificial hormone if injected into the new cow mom, keeps her milk production high for an extended period of time. 

The thing is:

There have been no long term studies of rBGH's effects on humans. (Instead of officially publishing the many year study of this synthetic hormone in cows - because of the plain, devastating results - the FDA published a 28 day study of the effects of it on Rats.... LOL!!!) 

Interestingly, based on what IS known about this Artificial Hormone, it has been banned in Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union. 

Now, because of over milking, it has been categorically recorded that cysts develop inside and outside of the cow’s udder. These infections then get treated by pumping the cow with antibiotics all of which - infection, false hormone and antibiotics - have been found in varying amounts in the Cows Milk.

High levels of White Blood cells can be found in the milk of rBST treated cows - and FYI, that's PUS from the cysts or broken flesh from extensive milking.

(Another concern is that injecting cows with bovine growth hormone may cause them to produce more of another hormone called Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Animal studies suggest that elevated levels of IGF-1 in the bloodstream could increase the risk for some cancers, particularly colon and breast cancers.)   

There is some alarming research about the impact of these antibiotics and synthetic Growth Hormones in small Kids. We have officially been using Monsanto's Synthetic Growth Hormone in our Dairy industry in South Africa since 1994. 

An anonymous interviewee from one of the suppliers of rBGH in South Africa said off the record, of the opposition product, that “You can milk them till they drop dead. You use that stuff if you don’t care too much about your cows.”

The UN international food safety body, ‘Codex Alimentarius’ has supported the right of nations to forbid the use of this hormone, due to the clearly enumerated potential human health effects, by failing to include it in the Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) categorisation. 

Canadian legislators and scientists closely interrogated US data and found it seriously lacking and banned the use of rBST.  

But it has somehow been permitted here in South Africa. 

About a year ago I noticed that the "RBST-Free" logo was no longer on our preferred brand of milk - "Clover"- So, i emailed Clover to ask what the story was?

They replied and said that they cant grantee that their suppliers aren't treating their cows so they had taken the "rBST Free" logo off their milk...... so no more Clover Milk for my family. (and just by-the-by, Im pretty sure that normal milk is not supposed to last as drinkable for 18days!! Crickey! what are they feeding us??)

  

So who produces milk that is free from rBST in South Africa? 

Woolworths carry a range of Ayrshire  Milk that is also marked as rBST-free. 

I recently saw that Parmalot also carries the logo.

Other than these two, I have heard that PnP brand is rBST free.

Look out for the rBST Free logo!

Let us know if you come across any others!

To end with, Check out the youtube-clip on this issue and the cover-up that ensued! - Crazy I tell you!

At the end of the day us as consumers can dictate what the market sells us, and if enough people are properly informed they will vote with their cash and force the change - as proven by big companies like Walmart, Starbucks and a whole list of others - who now only buy milk from suppliers that are rBST free.
Here is a list of others that have "seen the light" and made the change:
rBST Free companies


Cheers!

Microwaves

Basically a Microwave heats food by bombarding it with electromagnetic radiation. 

Every microwave oven contains a magnetron, a tube in which electrons are affected by magnetic and electric fields in such a way as to produce micro wavelength radiation. This microwave radiation interacts with the molecules in food. 

All wave energy changes polarity from positive to negative with each cycle of the wave. 

In microwaves, these polarity changes happen millions of times every second. 

Food molecules - especially the molecules of water - have a positive and negative end in the same way a magnet has a north and a south polarity.

In commercial microwave models, the oven has a power input of about 1000 watts of alternating current. As these microwaves generated from the magnetron bombard the food, they cause the polar (north, south) molecules to rotate at the same frequency, millions of times a second. All this agitation creates molecular friction, which heats up the food. 

However, this friction also causes substantial damage to the surrounding molecules, often tearing them apart or forcefully deforming them. 

Basically, a microwave oven decays and changes the molecular structure of the food by the process of radiation. Had the manufacturers accurately called them "radiation ovens", it's doubtful they would have ever sold one, but that's exactly what a microwave oven is - a radiation oven.


In Fact its a well documented fact that leakage of microwave radiation is common and some advise that pregnant woman do not stand near a working microwave. This is such a common phenomenon that you can actually easily purchase a  Microwave radiation leakage tester for home use. They even have a "beeping" function for when your radiation goes above the "Acceptable" level.
Apparently your Eyes are very prone to the absorption of this kind of radiation and cataracts can be a symptom of regular exposure to radiation leakage.
Also, according to the FDA (Food and Drug administration - USA) website, "...exposure to high levels of microwave energy can alter or kill sperm, producing temporary sterility" They also say that "not much is known about exposure to low levels of Microwaves"
Well actually, you can read up on published  test results regarding low level microwave radiation and the bad side effects it had on lab-rats, but the FDA basically said... "No, those lab test results don't count because they were done on rats and we don't know for sure if it will have the same effects on human beings."  Boy! that should sure breed reassurance into microwave using homes around the world!... It caused tumors and other deceases in rats but it might not do so in humans... we not really sure... But keep using your microwave anyway and lets find out! - CRAZY! (in my opinion)  - even worse is that most countries just go along with whatever the FDA says as a standard.


However, there are plenty of scientists, medical doctors and researchers who have stated publicly that using a Microwave in your home is a crazy thing to do. (go look up Milton Zaret)

A number of warnings have been made public, but have been barely noticed. For example:

In 1989, University of Minnesota: "...Heating the babies bottle in a microwave can cause slight changes in the milk. In infant formulas, there may be a loss of some vitamins. In expressed breast milk, some protective properties may be destroyed..."

One short-term study found significant and disturbing changes in the blood of individuals consuming microwaved milk and vegetables. Eight volunteers ate various combinations of the same foods cooked different ways. All foods that were processed through the microwave ovens caused changes in the blood of the volunteers. Hemoglobin levels decreased and over all white cell levels and cholesterol levels increased. (these affect your immune system, energy levels, and ultimately your quality of life.)

Basically, Minerals, Vitamins, and Nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

Even from web-sites that are "pro-microwave use" I have seen acknowledgements that microwaving your food does change it at some level.

Now, obviously conventional cooking also changes the food at "some level".  From all my reading it would seem that steaming vegetables (as opposed to Boiling and Microwaving) is by far the best way to cook veggies in order to maintain more of their natural goodness.
(Of course, if the veggie is able to be eaten raw, that is first prize in terms of maximum goodness to your body).

Final thoughts:
It would appear to me that the Rapid and Extreme heating from microwaving definitely affects the constitution of food at a molecular level in a way that is NOT beneficial from a nutrient point of view. In addition to nutrient degradation there seems to be a growing number of heath issues that many link back to microwave radiation leakage.
If one were to keep a Microwave in their house (...or, in their Garage...) , it does hold value in sterilizing items such as dish-cloths and washing sponges. (wet them and nuke for 1 minute).


Cheers for now
Andrew