Why we need to educate ourselves about the chemicals used on and in our foods and products we use daily.
From the early 1980’s, male birth defects have increased over 30%, autism is in epidemic proportion, in children, brain tumors and lymphomas are up over 20-30%; and in Western societies infertility is rising due to decreased sperm quality. Are the chemicals that permeate our air, food, and water the reason? We were surprised to find only a small percentage of chemicals introduced each year in the U.S. have ever been tested for toxicity. The laws that govern how the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) controls toxic chemicals needs some updating considering these laws are 33 years old. Since the introduction of the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976 only a few chemicals out of 80,000 have been regulated. More and more chemicals have been in question but EPA has its hands tied. Under the law, as it was interpreted by the courts in past cases, a chemical could only be regulated if the EPA could prove a chemical presented an unreasonable risk. It relies on studies done by the chemical companies themselves, in other words, new chemicals are only required to be tested if there is evidence of potential harm which is rarely the case. Unfortunately, the harm becomes apparent years after a chemical has been in use and the damage has been done. The good news is that the current administration has announced new principles to guide Congress into updating the current law in how it regulates toxic chemicals. It will be a long road before we see an effective change. In the meantime, all you can do is educate yourselves. Be choosy on the foods and products you buy, this in term, may force companies to remove unsafe chemicals in the foods and products we use daily. Knowledge is power!
5Phases is dedicated to a healthy and organic lifestyle for babies. We develop products that minimize harmful exposure to chemicals, giving baby the best start possible. For more information, visit our Facebook page or online @ www.5phases.com
