Is this free plastic bottle safe for son?

Mum confused by grading of plastic containers
Elysa Chen, The New Paper 17 May 09;

IT WAS free, but on hindsight, the gift was one that housewife Serene Tan, 39, would rather not have taken the trouble to collect.

She was offered a free plastic water bottle worth $12.90 by John Little after renewing her ValuePlus membership with the store last Sunday .

When she got home, she realised that the free water bottle was made of polyethylene terephthalate (Pete).

Alarm bells went off in her head: She had recently read in a magazine article that Pete is normally used for mineral water bottles and cooking oil bottles. It has a plastic identification code of 'one', which means that it is not suitable for repeated, long-term use.

The article also warned that long-term use of such plastic bottles may lead to the release of cancer-causing chemicals such as bisphenol-A (BPA), she said.

Mrs Tan said: 'I thought it was made of good quality plastic, and intended to let my 8-year-old son useit.'

She first started being more cautious about the types of plastic bottles she uses since her son's school advised parents not to let their children use Pete bottles.

Recently, said Mrs Tan, her sister had also reminded her to be careful about the types of water bottles that her children, aged 14, 13 and 8, use.

When The New Paper did a random check, we found that water bottles with the code one identification were being sold in some supermarkets and HDB shops.

No complaints

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said that it has not received any complaints about water bottles with the code one identification so far.

AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong confirmed that Pete bottles that are commonly used for commercial bottling of drinking-water are manufactured for one-time use only.

However, he added that Pete bottles can also be manufactured with a quality suitable for repeated use.

He said: 'Plastic containers that are made of the same plastic polymer can be manufactured with different qualities that suit different applications. Hence, the code number or the type of plastic polymer used to manufacture a food-contact container does not give any indication on whether the container is for a single-use only or suitable for repeated use.'

Reusable water bottles that are made of Pete plastic, he added, are allowed for sale (and can be offered) as a gift in Singapore, 'as long as they are manufactured for the intended purpose and are safe for use'.

However, this has left Mrs Tan very confused.

She said: 'As consumers, sometimes, we may not necessarily buy from the big shopping centres where water bottles are classified under different sections. How will I know whether a bottle made of Pete is meant for one-time use or not then?

'I think they should come up with a proper grading system. For now, I will just play it safe and not use bottles made of Pete.'

Don't reuse single-use containers

# Plastic packaging that has been used for storing non-food items (eg. detergent) should never be reused as food containers. They have not been tested safe for food storage and may contain non-food residue that can contaminatefood.

# Takeaway plastic food containers are disposable items designed for one-time usage and are not intended for repeated storage of food. They are safe for their immediate intended purpose but not beyond what they are designedfor.

# Use only takeaway food containers that are labelled microwave-safe for reheating food in the microwave oven.

# Plastic packaging for microwaveable convenience meals are designed for one-time usage with the type of food that's packed in it and should not be reused for storing or microwave-heating of other food.

# Reusable plastic food containers are subject to wear and tear after a period of use. They should be replaced when they have turned cloudy or discoloured, or if cracks or heavy abrasions start to appear.

- Source: AVA website