Bad News About SIGG Water Bottles

I am so very disappointed to share with you the news that SIGG was using BPA in their bottle liners produced prior to August 2008. I own three SIGGs myself and it turns out that two of them have the old, BPA-containing liner (copper colored liner is the old style, beige liner is the new style). Before this news, I was a huge SIGG advocate and really believed in the ethics of their production (here is what I've written previously on SIGG and alternatives). And just a few days ago I had a conversation with someone about why SIGG is the best choice despite a higher cost than other bottles.

I am not a BPA alarmist, but I do have healthy concern about it and thus have done my best to considerably reduce its presence in my home (cutting out most canned foods, switching to glass for food storage, never heating in plastic). The thing that just kills me about SIGG's deception is that they took about my ability to make a choice about BPA. On their website they have posted many reports showing their bottles don't leach, but I think that misses the point. I don't want it as an ingredient, period. Whether or not that ingredient is of concern is a decision that each family must make, not a decision that a company should makes for me (and be deceptive about it) so they can ride a cash cow.

Here is an article that will tell you more this SIGG revelation
Here is a letter from SIGG's CEO (look on the side bar for the report links I mentioned)

Below is the email I just sent to them. I will let you know how they respond.

SIGG,

I am SO disappointed to read that your bottle liners have contained BPA until the creation of the new liner. I very carefully weighed which kind of non-disposable water bottle to purchase and ultimately I picked SIGG over other brands because I believed that you had the most ethical production. I have sung your praises to my blog readers, assured naysayers that they shouldn't worry about the liner because of your assurances, and have turned many people on to your product because I have a job that puts me in front of an audience and I always have one of my SIGGs with me when on stage. I feel like I have misled my friends and family.

When I chose my SIGGs I expected I was buying a BPA-free product. Even your own CEO wrote in a letter on April 16, 2008, "SIGG bottles to have no presence of lead, phthalates, Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Bysphenol A (BPA), Bysphenol B (BPB)...". Yet, now it is quite obvious that they do have BPA in them. Whether or not the BPA is leaching into the water is another question entirely. As a consumer, I expected I was getting a BPA-free product. I have carefully cut, at personal expense, BPA-containing products from our family's food supply and am shocked that SIGG, a company I trusted so much, is the one that has kept BPA in my home.

I expect that I will at the least receive this consideration of reimbursement/replacements for my two old-style bottles. But honestly, actually giving me the quality product I thought I'd had for over a year is only the beginning of the big job you will have earning back my trust, the trust of my blog readers and the public I interact with, and the trust of consumers at large.

Update: Sigg responded to my email the next day. If I pay for return shipping (with a label they provide for tracking) they will give me a voucher for a new Sigg bottle to replace each one I send it. Email liners@mysigg.com to get your return approval and shipping label. Be sure to keep your tops for future bottles--no need to return those.

Homemade “Convenience Food” Breakfast – Power Balls

My friend & coworker Amy introduced me to these amazing little things called Power Balls that have revolutionized my breakfast life. I am so picky in the morning that something has to be really enticing (read: containing chocolate) for me to not just skip breakfast, which is my inclination even though I know that isn't a wise choice. Since I gave up commercial breakfast bars I have tried all sorts of healthy muffin recipes, homemade granola, bars, etc. but none were amazing enough for me to stick with for more than a few weeks. Enter Power Balls. They are delicious, quick to make, can be prepared in bulk and stored, and are convenient to eat on-the-go. While there are many Power Ball recipe versions floating around in cyberspace, Amy's has the most flavors that I like. Here it is:

Power Balls Recipe
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey (I've mixed in agave nectar, too)
3 cups (non-instant) oats
½ cup flaxseed (I've had them with both ground and whole flax seed)
½ cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
½ cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates, etc.)
½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc)

Mix peanut butter and honey until smooth. Gradually add in oats and flaxseed, then fold in the other ingredients. The Kitchen Aid works great for this. Then roll into ping-pong ball sized balls. Store them in the refrigerator or freezer. You can switch up the add-ins, just keep the total amount to 1 ½ cups. If you add more, the balls won't hold together. Also, beware of cutting down the honey. The honey really keeps it all stuck together.

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I make one or two batches at a time and then freeze all that I won't eat in a week. They freeze really well—I use lidded Pyrex. They also travel well if you can keep them in a container with a structure (hard plastic or glass).

The ones Amy made for me had white chocolate chips, craisins, and walnuts and were so amazing! I've been making them with semi-sweet chocolate chips, dried cranberries, whole grain flax seed, and a mix of almonds and walnuts since both have such great, different nutritional benefits. Read about almonds here and omega-3-rich walnuts here.

Yes—these are sweet and contain chocolate chips—but they also have healthful ingredients. Hopefully my new nutritionist will agree! I meet with her next Monday to work on a well-balanced diet with a focus on local foods and to develop ways to up my fruit and veggie consumption. I am so excited!