The media has been in an uproar over a recent University of Cincinnati study, which found that when polycarbonate water bottles (identified by the recycling code “7” and “PC”) are filled with boiling water, they release a substance called Bisphenol-A or BPA.

While the media has made much about the implications of this most recent study, conducted by an Associate Professor and his students, it has not mentioned the fact that many other studies conducted by government agencies around the globe in the past few decades have looked at the human health implications of BPA consumption, and the apparent consensus is that polycarbonate food packaging is generally considered safe in most applications. While it presents little or no risk to adults, it may present long-term risks to infants and young children; applications that most concern researchers are baby bottles, which are repeatedly heated, and linings in cans used for infant formula and acidic vegetables like tomatoes.

We, at Summit Spring, are not health scientists or plastics experts, so we can provide only links to third-party information and our opinion based on everything we’ve learned; but rest assured, we’re committed to staying informed on this subject and delivering the most healthful product possible. We in no way want to compromise the quality of Summit Spring’s uncommonly pure natural spring water, and we seek out the most environmentally responsible and healthful packaging, regardless of cost.

Individual-serving sizes of Summit Spring water are bottled in PETE (plastics code "1"), which does not contain BPA.

Our 3- and 5-gallon jugs are made with polycarbonate, which does contain BPA; however, we bottle at about 42°F—just above freezing—and the current concerns are primarily focused on heated bottles or hot contents. Furthermore, a 5-gallon jug has just one quarter the surface-area contact with its contents that a baby bottle or vegetable can has.

After reviewing the available data, we are confident that our packaging poses absolutely no known health risks and, in fact, it poses far less potential risk than the consumption of municipal tap water, soft drinks, non-organic foods, and conventionally raised meats, not to mention those posed by breathing the air in most cities.

The media may mean well, but it often doesn’t tell the whole story.

If you want to learn more, here are links to information you should know about BPA. We encourage you to do your own research, decide what’s right for yourself, and avoid getting swept up in media-created hype.

The original report from the University of Cincinnati

FDA statement on BPA

European Food Safety Authority report on BPA

Grocery Manufacturers Association report on BPA

American Plastics Council report on BPA