BPA free bottle

BPA baby bottles banned

PUTRAJAYA: The government has decided to ban the polycarbonate feeding bottle containing the organic compound Bisphenol A or BPA from March 1 next year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today.

He said the cabinet decided at its meeting on March 2 to adopt the precautionary measure because there was no sound scientific proof that the feeding bottle was safe for use by infants and children.

"The ministry will not compromise on the safety of consumers, more so infants and children," he told reporters after chairing a post-cabinet meeting, here.

Liow said it had been learnt that BPA could cause disruption to the hormonal system and consequently interrupt bodily functions, but added that so far no evaluation had been done on the hormonal system in infants.

He also said that the government was giving the industry a one-year period to wind down the manufacture of the BPA-containing polycarbonate feeding bottles. - BERNAMA

Read more: BPA baby bottles banned http://www.nst.com.my/articles/BPAbabybottlesbanned/Article/#ixzz1GwIljfS6

How to identify and use feeding bottles

The Health Ministry is distributing pamphlets on how to identify polycarbonate baby-feeding bottles containing Bisphenol A (BPA) and guides on how to use BPA-free polycarbonate bottles. Listed below are some of the ways to identify polycarbonate baby feeding bottles

- A polycarbonate feeding bottle is hard and transparent.

- It can be identified through the plastic classification codes found on the bottom of the bottle as follows:

a. Number 7
b. Number 7 and PC

c. Number 7 and others

- BPA-free bottles are usually labelled as "BPA-free".

Listed below is the guide on BPA bottle usage:

1. Sterilise the bottle following the instructions on the label or those provided by the manufacturer. If none, the bottle should be submerged in boiling water for five to 10 minutes.
2. Avoid pouring hot water directly into the bottle when preparing milk.
3. Use appropriate cleaning utensils, such as a soft sponge and brush, to avoid scratching the surface of the bottle.
4. Check the inner surface of the bottle regularly. Replace if scratches are found or the feeding bottle is spoilt. Feeding bottles, even those without scratches, should be changed every six months.
5. There are several alternative baby feeding bottles in the market made from polypropylene, polyethersulfone, polyyamides as well as glass.
6. For more information, please contact the Health Ministry at 03 8883 3652/ 3653/ 3655 or visit http://fsq.moh.gov.my or http://moh.gov.my

Read: 7 classes of plastics.

Read more: How to identify and use feeding bottles http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/12bara/Article/#ixzz1GwJBJFip