The power of reputation: Scandinavian Child cleans up Williams-Sonoma and Beaba’s BPA mess

Monday, September 22, 2008
Posted by Jeremiah McNichols-Guest Blogger

At Z Recommends, we have always loved the idea of the Babycook, a combination steamer, blender, warmer, and defroster for preparing homemade baby food. The device, designed and manufactured by the French company Beaba, sells for around $150, which makes it a bit of a luxury but one that translates into real convenience for anyone who wants to commit to making their own baby food but wants to minimize mess, dirty dishes, and the number of other devices employed for the task.

The only problem was that we couldn't get a straight answer about the Babycook's status with regard to the endocrine-disrupting chemical Bisphenol-A. First a ZRecs reader and then Maggie from WholesomeBabyFood alerted us to the fact that Williams-Sonoma, the U.S. distributor of the Babycook, had the item listed on its website as being made of polycarbonate plastic, but that Beaba's representatives in France were making confusing statements that aggressively denounced this classification but would not categorically deny the presence of BPA in their products. Representatives from Beaba appear to have commented on blog posts at WholesomeBabyFood defending the Babycook without disclosing that they were employees of the company (a particularly good bit of sleuthing on Maggie's part, involving the matching up of IP addresses), and it took months of transatlantic diplomacy by WholesomeBabyFood to learn that their bowl had been changed from polycarbonate (PC) to polysulfone (PSU) in 2005.

As readers of ZRecs' recent reporting know, BPA is not found exclusively in polycarbonate plastic, nor is it only found in hard, clear plastic. (ZRecs recently secured previously unreleased information from Sassy that reveals that many Sassy color-change items, and other non-clear plastic items in their infant and children's feeding line, contain BPA. The company, as well as online retailers that specialize in BPA-free items, are now grappling with questions of returns by frustrated parents.) BPA is also sometimes used as an ingredient in PSU. ZRecs has regularly cautioned consumers against listening to erroneous media reports claiming that looking at a plastic, or its recycling code, is sufficient to tell whether or not it contains BPA. Ultimately, Beaba would claim that the new plastic type better prevented the migration of any undesired chemicals into the baby food.

The trouble is, sites like WholesomeBabyFoods and our own don't place much stock in generalized claims about migration levels. By the time Beaba came out and said they had had the product tested and found no detectable levels of BPA, it was difficult to have much faith in their claims, and their tactics and rhetoric made it pretty clear to everyone that no documentation would be forthcoming regarding the levels they considered "undetectable" (they can vary, based on the test) and that the results were actually as they claimed.

Meanwhile, Williams-Sonoma representatives and store personnel were proudly telling consumers that the product was made of shatter-proof polycarbonate, but then changed their online product description to remove the PC statement, without any clear explanation for the change. Readers writing in with questions about the Babycook received muddled responses like "We have verified that the Beaba Babycook (item #5279732) does not contain PVC and therefore will not leach bisphenol-a." If Beaba really had a clean record regarding BPA, they had found a clumsy partner to help sell their product to well-informed parents.

Enter Scandinavian Child, the Swedish company behind the wonderful wooden Svan high chair. (Some might balk at a $150-$250 price tag, but our daughter Z has used one since she was high-chair ready, now uses it as a youth chair, and will continue to until kingdom come. Her parents even sit in it in a pinch.) Scandinavian Child recently contracted with Beaba to take over distribution of the Babycook in the U.S., and somewhere between the negotiations and their rollout of the product at the ABC Kids' Expo in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, they realized they had a potential PR time bomb on their hands and did their own, independent testing of the Babycook for BPA. Their findings confirmed that the Babycook is indeed BPA-free.

Here's why we trust their findings:

• When we asked Scandinavian Child's sales representative about it (with no advanced warning) at their booth at the trade show, she knew exactly what we were talking about, explained that the company had conducted independent testing and had gotten the results just that week, and considered a BPA-free record to be a key consideration in whether they would actually distribute the Babycook.
• Scandinavian Child's requirement of independent testing overseen by their own company acknowledges the confusion and their commitment to clearing up the matter themselves so they could take responsibility for the results.
  
  We're thrilled to add the Babycook as a BPA-free item in our soon-to-be-released ZRecs Guide to Safer Children's Products (subscribe to Z Recommends' RSS feed or our monthly newsletter if you'd like to receive an announcement), and look forward to reviewing it now that we're confident of its safety. The product has received exceptional reviews on Amazon.com and on the Williams-Sonoma website, so we're interested to see how it measures up by our own standards.

Posted by Christina  on  10/05  at  01:39 PM

Hi-
I was just wondering; my Beaba was purchased for me a few months ago (June 2008).  Is this BPA free or are only the most recent ones BPA free?

Posted by Janelle Sorensen  on  10/06  at  02:27 PM

Hi Christina-
Have no fears over your Beaba Babycook. Apparently, they have been made of polysulfone since 2005. You can find a load of detective work conducted by concerned moms at http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/news/?p=135. They skipped past the William’s Sonoma debacle and went straight to Beaba for the 411.

Posted by Amanda  on  12/17  at  08:59 AM

I just purchased the Beaba Babycook at WS in Canada but I’m contemplating returning it.  If it is BPA free why not make mention of it on their website or on the packaging?  It seems odd to me that a company who had a shady BPA rep just a short time ago wouldn’t want to exploit their new-found BPA free status.  Am I the only one who is still skeptical?

Posted by Janelle Sorensen  on  12/22  at  12:45 PM

Amanda, I share your frustration here, but even though WS seems confused about the issue, Beaba is assuring customers that the steamer is made from PS (polysulfone) and the basket is made from PP (polypropylene) - both of which are safer plastics.
I trust ZRecs assessment and think you can put this one to rest, too. Thanks for the inquiry.

Posted by Indra  on  01/23  at  07:03 PM

I purchased the Babycook thru Amazon recently (Jan. 2009)—-but really thru one of the many lesser known venders they rep.  I worry that they might have sold me old stock (or is that even possible?  were there models @ USA voltage b4 2005?) Is there a model or serial # I can check to verify.  I cant believe I didnt think about BPAs b4 I bought it!  Duh!

Posted by Janelle  on  01/28  at  01:56 PM

Indra,
I would try calling or emailing the company with the serial # to find out when it was manufactured. I don’t think there would be any other way to know.
Good Luck! I hope it’s a keeper!

Posted by Tina  on  03/02  at  02:08 PM

Does anyone know more about the related Beaba multiportion freezer trays. Williams Sonoma claims these to be BPA-Free, however after all of this I tend to be a little skeptical. After all, who has testing equipment in their own homes to check the accuracy of these claims!

Does anyone have recommendations for a healthy way to freeze homemade baby food, aside from old time metal ice cube trays which don’t work that well.

Thanks!

Posted by Janelle  on  03/02  at  02:49 PM

Hi Tina-
As long as you let the food cool before putting into the ice cube trays, you should be fine using plastic ones. Just look for ones made of safer plastics like #2, 4, or 5 or the new, flexible silicone ones. Also, hand wash them, and replace when they start getting scratched or worn.

Another option is to purchase small, freezable glass jars (just don’t over-fill - leave room for the food to expand).

Posted by Amanda  on  05/06  at  09:57 PM

I did end up returning my Babycook and ended up getting a Cuisinart glass blender.  Although more of a pain to clean, it’s much bigger and I can make much larger batches (which I am grateful for now)
My son eats like a pig and the Babycook just couldn’t keep up.  I’m glad I returned it and put 130.00 in my pocket after the purchase of my Cuisinart blender. 

Posted by Misty  on  05/11  at  10:09 PM

Now that we have established that the babycook is BPA-free, is it still okay to heat the plastic while steaming the food? I thought all plastics, even somewhat safe ones, were not suppoed to be heated?

Posted by Janelle  on  05/12  at  01:59 PM

Misty - Polypropylene and Polysulfone are safer plastics because they are much more resistant to heat and detergents. I can’t recall for you right now the temperature at which they begin to break down, but it is much higher than the temperature at which you’ll be steaming food in the Babycook.

Posted by Baby Shower  on  06/13  at  01:57 PM

I think the babycook looks like a fantastic product!

Posted by Eileen Gray  on  06/29  at  07:37 PM

I like their way of really ensuring the safety of the product and Beaba’s honesty regarding their problems. Anyway Babycook looks like a nice product, it will definitely help moms a lot.

Posted by Barbara  on  10/10  at  08:42 PM

Hi! I am thinking of buying a used Beaba Babycook made in 2004.  Is this model BPA free?  Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!