BPA Information

There has been publicity lately about chemicals in some plastic containers (especially BPA) that might contaminate the food or liquid that they contain.

Such stories are causing concern amongst consumers, particularly parents of infants and young children. As a result, we have listed a number of frequently asked questions below:

Q: What is BPA?

A: Bisphenol A (“BIS–fen–all A”) is a chemical used by manufacturers as a building block of polycarbonate a plastics material not used by Décor for food storage products.

Opinion varies widely on the level of risk associated with various levels of BPA. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has reported that high levels of Bisphenol A can increase the odds of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities. However, both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as the historically stringent regulators of public health issues in the European Union, have issued standards/directives that allow certain levels of BPA to be present in plastics.

Q. Is it in Décor products?

A: Décor food containers and drink bottles are BPA free. BPA is not used in the manufacture of the raw materials or added during the manufacture of the products. Décor has conducted independent tests that could not detect any BPA.

(As part of the independent testing, a sample of the polypropylene used in the manufacture of our containers was tested for Specific Migration of BPA using the filling method into 50% v/v ethanol with a 10 day exposure time. No BPA was detected. The detection limit of this method is 0.03 mg/kg. The European Commission Directive 2002/72/EC limit for Specific Migration of BPA into foodstuffs is 0.6 mg/kg)

Decor Tellfresh®, Microsafe®, and Bright&Healthy® ranges, and also our lunch boxes, are made of polypropylene and our Foodfresh™ storers and sports bottles are made from low density polyethylene and polypropylene.

Q: What number are Décor containers? I’ve heard that containers labelled #7 should be avoided.

The number shown on a plastic container does NOT indicate whether an item contains BPA. It is a globally used labeling scheme that tells people the type of plastic and how / if it can be recycled.

Décor containers are made from polypropylene (PP #5), our sports bottles are made from low density polyethylene (LDPE #4), and our Foodfresh storers are made from a combination of polypropylene and low density polyethylene.

The number 7 that many people have referred to appears as follows:

The number 7 is used for a number of other plastics including polycarbonates. So, simply looking for recycling code 7 will not determine whether it contains BPA. For items indicating a recycle code of 7 it is best to contact the manufacturer for further information.

Q. What is Décor’s position on antibacterial chemicals?

Décor’s policy is not to add any antibacterial chemicals into our food containers or drink bottles.

Q: Where else can consumers find information on BPA?

A: Many of the studies on BPA have originated from concerns raised in Canada and the US. Detailed below are some reference websites that contain more information:

• European Food Safety Authority study - www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press_room/press_release/pr_bpa.html

• American Chemistry Council - www.bisphenol-a.org

• Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/endocrine/about.html

• American Council on Science and Health - www.acsh.org/publications/pubID.1033/pub_detail.asp

• American Plastics Council - http://www.PlasticsMythBuster.org

We can confirm that none of Décor’s storer or sports bottle ranges contain BPA – our Tellfresh®, Microsafe®, and Bright&Healthy® ranges, and also our lunch boxes are made of polypropylene. These types of plastic comply with the code of federal regulations issue by the US Food and Drug Administration applying to articles that contact food.

Polypropylene also meets the requirements of Australian Standard for plastic materials for food contact use, AS2070-1999. Under these stringent standards and regulations, polyethylene can be used for the storage and freezing of food and polypropylene can be used for the storage, freezing and microwave reheating of food.