How safe is Bamboo to eat from?

When it comes to our children and their safety, any parent or caregiver will spend hours researching what is best for their health and wellbeing. Before deciding on any new product, we all do a mini risk-assessment in our heads to weigh up the pros and cons of what we are about to purchase.

This week at eco rascals towers, we have been spending our time creating a
comprehensive guide for our lovely followers on the different options out there and what to look out for.

The safest options out there for children’s tableware, which are toxin-free, free of any harmful chemicals, durable and long-lasting are bamboo dishes, stainless steel and silicone items. Here is why they are our top choices:

Bamboo is:

- Recyclable, biodegradable, plant based, grown and harvested without any pesticides being used.
- It is anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, meaning it is 100% safe for your children and will resist odours, heat, water and stains.
- Free from plastics such as BPA, PVC and Phthalates.
- Easy to clean with warm soapy water

Stainless steel is:
- 100% recyclable (so amazing for the environment)
- Made up from scrap items (60%) which would have ended up in a landfill somewhere
- Has an incredibly long lifespan
- Has a very low emissions footprint in terms of its manufacturing process
- Is completely safe to use with hot food, cold food and can be sterilised for hygiene.
- Dishwasher safe

Silicone is:
- Much better for the environment than plastics because when disposed of at a landfill for incineration, the silicone (unlike plastic) is converted back into inorganic, harmless ingredients: amorphous silica, carbon dioxide, and water vapour. Meaning it can be recycled
- Extremely durable
- Can endure extreme temperature changes without causing any cracks or melting.
- Is odour and stain resistant
- It will resist oxidative deterioration for decades, so is a good investment for the long term
- Extremely hygienic and hypoallergenic
- It will not stain or scratch your surfaces.
- Dishwasher and microwave safe

One product that we believe you should watch out for is something which states it is “bamboo fibre”, because this can contain a whole host of nasties. Do your due diligence before purchasing a bamboo fibre product and please look out for ingredients such as PVC, phthalates, BPA + BPS (bisphenols), lead and other heavy metals plus PFAS chemicals.
These are things you do NOT want in your children’s tableware. Some bamboo fibre products are absolutely fine, due to a new technology which means they don’t need to mix the fibres with melamine. But the manufacturing process is still very heavy on the environment, which is why we choose to use natural bamboo.

Two items on our no-go list are plastics and melamine. Both of these products have safety concerns surrounding them regarding the plastics migrating into foods causing accidental plastic consumption. Plastic and Melamine should not be heated up in a microwave or have acidic foods in the such as orange juice or tomato-based foods. The long-term risk here is that continued misuse of these items can cause melamine poisoning, kidney stones (adults and children) plus many other adverse effects on your health.

To summarise, plastic or melamine isn’t the best option, especially when there are so many other fantastic, safe options out there. Bamboo, stainless steel and silicone tableware can all be found easily and in a range of sizes, designs and divided plates too.