Thursday, July 19, 2007

Is Sigg Safe? Goodbye CamelBak?

Oh, here we go again. We have decided in our family to replace all the plastic that we use for food with glass or stainless steel! I'm excited about this, I think it is a very healthy choice for our family, and something that isn't too hard to do. I already have a bunch of vintage Pyrex Bake and Save glass dishes, and now we are working on replacing our Camelbak bottles (which I love, but which leach (summed up the following way:)

"Polycarbonate plastic, on the other hand, is made from epoxy of bisphenol-A [BPA], a known hormone disruptor (endocrine disruptor--the endocrine system regulates hormones in the body). Scientists not working for the petrochemical plastics industry have compiled dozens of studies linking phthalates and BPA to birth defects, cancer, abnormal genital development, and autoimmune disorders, and other problems in animals and in humans."


I am sad about loosing the Camelbak bottle, as it is SO easy to use, because it has a straw and a bite valve, but I think the heath risks are just too big. So I found Sigg. But its Aluminum outside and a "Special, crack-resistant, taste-neutral bottle liner, tested safe for 0.00% leaching."

But how do we know this is true? We thought for years that Nalgene was leach proof, as well.

"Hundreds of studies have identified all aluminum salts as increasing the risk of dementia and possibly Alzheimer's disease in animals and possibly humans. This is why most companies are dropping aluminum and going with stainless steel."

So. Does anyone know about Sigg's liner?

There is a Stainless Steel alternative, which so far seems safe... but of course, its not as cute. Hmmm... Cute bottle, or brain damage? Tough choice...

4 comments:

The Catharine Chronicles said...

So when you bought me that Camelbak... you were trying to KILL ME??

I've actually been thinking about this, too, but less for health and more for eco reasons. Aluminum can be recycled more efficiently than plastic, and glass is... well... sand, essentially....

I guess the leaching thing makes it an easier decision. As for how we know about leaching, my veterinarian (holistic princess that she is) has been bugging me like crazy to switch the cats from ceramic to glass dishes. And she's never wrong about anything! So there!

~C~

a said...

Oh, I am so sorry that I was trying to kill you! And BY THE WAY: Don't let this stop you from drinking your water!!

Just use that bottle until you get a new one. Water, water, water!

What's wrong with ceramic? What does the vet say?

The Catharine Chronicles said...

Glazed ceramic is a question mark, unless you've glazed the object yourself and can attest to a complete absence of any heavy metals in the glaze or underlying clay. They make such things, and plenty of mindful ceramics artisans use them (as I'm sure you know), but in mass-produced items such as machine-manufactured pet food dishes, it is not inconceivable that a desire to cut production cost would outweight the safety of our pets. (Can you say Chinese wheat gluten?)

Pure, clean glass, on the other hand, is undeniably safe and heavy-metal free.

And I forgive you for trying to kill me -- and must add that my current water containers are refilled store=bought plastic bottles (five 16.9 oz bottles on my desk every day) that I've just kept refilling because they are what is handy. So clearly the issue of plastics leaching has not been foremost on my mind.

Thanks for getting me to revisit the issue, though. I'd put it on the back burner whilst having other things to think about.

~C~

Anonymous said...

SIGG ROCKS

SIGG’s liner protects from any migration or leaching container into the liquid. All tests of the liquid reveal no trace (0 %) of any of the following chemicals: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Bysphenol A (BPA) and Bysphenol B (BPB).
• “Only the 2 bottles manufactured by SIGG, the market leader, showed no traces of aluminum... The manufacturer SIGG shows that it is possible to avoid residue from synthetic coating.”
- OKO independent test, Germany 1997
• “According to the results of our evaluation, use of a SIGG bottle does not add to the beverage any particles and/or components which are harmful to human health, or which alter the odor or flavor of the beverage.”
- Dr. Ulrich Nehring, Institute Nehring, 2001
• “While the polycarbonate bottles we tested leached a significant amount of BPA, the SIGG bottles – both new & used – showed no detectable BPA.”

Sigg Aluminium Bottle
SQTS - SWISS QUALITY TESTING SERVICES
Grünaustrasse 23 CH-8953 Dietikon Telefon +41 (0)44 277 31 41 Telefax +41 (0)44 277 31 70
Rte de l’industrie 61 CH-1784 Courtepin Telefon +41 (0)26 684 80 40 Telefax +41 (0)26 684 80 49
www.sqts.ch info@sqts.ch
SIGG Switzerland AG
Andreas Germann
Walzmühlestrasse 62
8501 Frauenfeld
Sample 1
Designation
Received on
Bottle Oval
15 Stk.
Aussenfarben blau, schwarz, rot
11/04/2007
Amount
Identification
Assessment
Food Law Assessment
You appointed us in the letter dated 11th April 2007 to assess the Bottle Oval with respect to current food legislation.
Product data:
Sample: Drining bottle, Aluminium based (Bottle oval) with inner lacquer incl. lid
Intended use: In accordance with your data the product is used for aqueous, acidic and alcoholic beverages
Additional to the samples following documents were supplied:
- Technical Data Sheet fort he lacquer of 20.Apr. 2007
- Regulatory Affairs Product Information Data Sheet fort he plastic of the lid
Analytic
The overall migration was performed according to the requirements of the EU directive 85/572/EC. Therefore, the drinking
bottle was filled wit 3% acetic acid as well as with 95% Ethanol, closed with lid, turned upside down and finally stored for 24h at
40° C. Due to the multiple use of the bottle the migration was done subsequently three times. Only the results of the third
migration are reported.
Additionally, a descriptive sensoric test was performed according to the Swiss Food Book.
The lacquer inside the bottle was analyzed on BADGE and its Derivates incl. Bisphenol A after direct extraction. The lacquer
outside the bottle was tested saliva and fat stability. The metal composition was checked with X-ray fluorescence
Assessment
The overall migration values are below the limit of 60 mg/kg according to the Council of Europe Recommendation ReSAP
(2004) 1 as well as below the standard value of 60 mg/kg of the CH Food Contact Material regulation and EU Directive
2002/72/EG.
The sensoric, the saliva and fat stability test did not show any strangeness.
The sum on BADGE, BADGE H2O, BADGE 2H2O and the sum on BADGE HCL, BADGE 2HCl, BADGE H2O/HCL fulfil the
requirements of the EU regulation 1895/2005/EG as well as the requirements of the CH Food Contact Material regulation.
Bisphenol A could not be detected.
The metal composition shows, that the bottle is completely aluminium based.
Due to the performed analysis the present product used as intended fulfils the requirements of the regulation (EC) 1935/2004
article 3. Under the normal and foreseeable use conditions the product specified above does thereafter not add components to
food in quantities that are suitable to endanger the human health, to cause an untenable change of the composition or an
impairment of the organoleptic characteristics of the food.
Furthermore the product is in compliance with the requirements of the CFR 21 § 175.300 of the US FDA regulations.
Report 2007L08194
Client
04/05/2007
SIGG Switzerland AG
General tests
Date of report
Type of order
nn: not detectable nb: not quantifiable page 1 of 4
Experimental conditions will be given on request.
Methods labeled with (*) do not belong to the list of our validated methods. The results are valid for the listed samples only. It is prohibited to
use parts or interpretations of the report for commercial purposes. It is not prohibited to pass the complete and unchanged version of the
report to third parties. The sole legally valid and hence binding version of the test report is the version originally signed by the author which
can be inspected or ordered at the principal's request.
Our general conditions of business apply.
STS 095 Dietikon
STS 038 Courtepin
REPORT: 2007L08194
SQTS - SWISS QUALITY TESTING SERVICES
Date of report: 04/05/2007
This report exclusively refers to the analyzed samples and is valid at maximum for 5 years (May 2012). In the case of a change
of the raw materials, the raw material composition of the product, the manufacturing process, the legal regulations or new
toxicological realizations this evaluation loses its validity.
References:
- Commission Directive (85/572/EEC) of 19 December 1985
- Council of Europe Framework Resolution ResAP (2004) 1 on Coatings intended to come into contact with foodstuffs
- Commission Directive 2002/72/EC of 06 August 2002
- Food Contact Regulation (Bedarfsgegenständeverordnung) of 23.November 2005, issued 12.December 2006
- Swiss Food book (Schweizer Lebensmittelbuch), edition 2005
- Information letter No. 68 of 28.November 2001, Bundesamtes für Gesundheit (BAG): theme: BADGE
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 1895/2005 of 18 November 2005
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of 27 October 2004
- Food and Commodity Regulation (Lebensmittel- und Gebrauchsgegenständeverordnung (LGV)) of 23.November 2005
- FDA CFR 21 Parts 175.300
Test results Sample 1 Bottle Oval
Parameter
Method
Result limit of detection
limit of quant.
Units
accord. to Swiss regul.
limit value
BADGE (a)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
11 μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
BADGE.HCl (b)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
5 μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
BADGE.HCl.H2O (c)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
not detectable μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
BADGE.2HCl (d)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
not detectable μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
BADGE.H2O (e)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
not detectable μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
BADGE.2H2O (f)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
not detectable μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
BFDGE (g)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
not detectable μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
BFDGE.2HCl (h)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
not detectable μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
BFDGE.2H2O (i)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
not detectable μg/dm2 LOD: 0.5
LOQ: 2
Bisphenol A
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
not detectable μg/dm2 LOD: 1.5
LOQ: 2
NOGE 3-6 Ring
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
- μg/dm2
Sum (a-e)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
16 μg/dm2
Sum (a,e,f)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
11 μg/dm2
Sum (b,c,d)
LCBMETB04 (HPLC-FLD)
5 μg/dm2
Parameter
Method
Result limit of detection
limit of quant.
Units
accord. to Swiss regul.
limit value
---> info
LTXPRVO
Innenseite
Migration condition 2
LMPMET0705
3 x 24h/40°C
Migr. 95% ethyl alcohol (Multiple use)
LMPMET0705
13 mg/kg
LOQ: 2
Migration (test conditions)
LMPMET0705
3 x 24h/40°C (95°C
einfüllen)
nn: not detectable nb: not quantifiable page 2 of 4
Experimental conditions will be given on request.
Methods labeled with (*) do not belong to the list of our validated methods. The results are valid for the listed samples only. It is prohibited to
use parts or interpretations of the report for commercial purposes. It is not prohibited to pass the complete and unchanged version of the
report to third parties. The sole legally valid and hence binding version of the test report is the version originally signed by the author which
can be inspected or ordered at the principal's request.
Our general conditions of business apply.
STS 095 Dietikon
STS 038 Courtepin
REPORT: 2007L08194
SQTS - SWISS QUALITY TESTING SERVICES
Date of report: 04/05/2007
Test results Sample 1 Bottle Oval
Parameter
Method
Result limit of detection
limit of quant.
Units
accord. to Swiss regul.
limit value
Migr. 3% acetic acid (Multiple use)
LMPMET0705
26 mg/kg
LOQ: 2
Sensory assessment (smell,taste)
LMPMET0707*
0/1
---> info
LTXPRVO
Aussenseite
Stability towards fat
LMPMET0737*
Fat stability given
Fastness to saliva
LMPMET0723*
Saliva stability
given
Parameter
Method
Result limit of detection
limit of quant.
Units
accord. to Swiss regul.
limit value
---> info
-
Material analysis
Aluminum
LMPMET756* (XRF)
99.6 %
LOQ: 0.1
Lead
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Cadmium
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Zinc
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Chromium
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Cobalt
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Iron
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Copper
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Manganese
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Molybdenum
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Nickel
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Mercury
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Titanium
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Vanadium
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
Tin
LMPMET756* (XRF)
<0.1 %
LOQ: 0.1
nn: not detectable nb: not quantifiable page 3 of 4
Experimental conditions will be given on request.
Methods labeled with (*) do not belong to the list of our validated methods. The results are valid for the listed samples only. It is prohibited to
use parts or interpretations of the report for commercial purposes. It is not prohibited to pass the complete and unchanged version of the
report to third parties. The sole legally valid and hence binding version of the test report is the version originally signed by the author which
can be inspected or ordered at the principal's request.
Our general conditions of business apply.
STS 095 Dietikon
STS 038 Courtepin
REPORT: 2007L08194
SQTS - SWISS QUALITY TESTING SERVICES
Date of report: 04/05/2007
SQTS - Swiss Quality Testing Services
Thomas Gude
Technical Manager
Dietikon, 04. 05. 2007
For further inquiries you can also contact your customer
consultant:
Mr Beat Meier phone number (direct) +41 44 277 76 18
Invoice to: SIGG Switzerland AG
nn: not detectable nb: not quantifiable page 4 of 4
Experimental conditions will be given on request.
Methods labeled with (*) do not belong to the list of our validated methods. The results are valid for the listed samples only. It is prohibited to
use parts or interpretations of the report for commercial purposes. It is not prohibited to pass the complete and unchanged version of the
report to third parties. The sole legally valid and hence binding version of the test report is the version originally signed by the author which
can be inspected or ordered at the principal's request.
Our general conditions of business apply.
STS 095 Dietikon
STS 038 Courtepin