What's in that?

My health insurance company sends out a monthly email newsletter. This is one of the few email newsletters that I actually read. It is usually full of interesting facts about being healthy (something I am always trying to work on), new recipes, ways to save money (strange topic for health insurance, but I think they link it to stress management), and various other things.
Like I said, I read the newsletter every time it appears in my Gmail box.

This week there was an article entitled "Are Plastic Food Containers Safe?" Well, I sure hope so! I use them all the time. Right now, in my lunch box there is a plastic container of cereal and a smaller one of raisins (healthy!). Everyday for the past year and a half I have taken my PLASTIC water bottle to school so that I am not tempted to buy something from the drink machine (healthy AND saving money! I should write for those newsletter guys!). We store leftovers, cookies, cupcakes (er, not so healthy), and other food items in them at home all the time!
Now I'm worried.

I like to pretend that I am one of those "organic, green" people who cares about the environment and doesn't eat things with random pesticides or other products squirted over them in the growing process, but I must confess....it's a facade. I WANT to be that, but I'll just as soon drive to the convenient store which is less than half a mile to buy a product encased in a non-recyclable Styrofoam container without thinking twice about it. Plus, it's EXPENSIVE to be so picky about things, and right now, as you know, Mr. Ramsey is the master of our finances...I digress.

The article pointed out one major chemical that is found in plastic containers: Bisphenol A, also referred to as BPA. This chemical is in some plastic baby bottles and “sippy” cups, transparent water bottles, harder plastic containers and the lining of canned foods The article suggests looking the the recycling code that contains a number which can be found on most plastic products. It states, "The number that you don’t want is 7, which tends to appear on BPA-containing plastics." So, as I take a swig from my good 'old Nalgene water bottle that proudly adorns the stickers I collected from the Bishop Family cross country National Lampoon Style vacation in the summer of 2007 (I'll have to tell that story soon.) I start a mental list of items to check:
1. Glad ware containers we use for sandwich meat
2. Ziplock bags (I don't even know if this qualifies, but I'm checking!)
3. Water bottles-including beloved Nalgene water bottle (btw, it took me forever on the trip to pick out this water bottle, mostly because I am super obsessive and wanted it to be "perfect." How in heaven's name can a water bottle be perfect? I don't know, but this one is.

Since I'm at school, I have that Nalgene bottle with me. Here's how the rest plays out:

Hmmm, what else do I have that is hard plastic? Oh, my trusty Nalgene bottle here...
Oh, wow, I can hardly read that recycling code...what is that, Z? What kind of code is that? Oh, not Z...7 seven s-e-v-e-n

Well, crap. I'm gonna get the itis*.

I'm doing further research, because I do want to be healthy. If you, too, are interested, here's what I've found so far:
BPA Summary at EcoPage
BPA Free Portal

*Steve refers to all sorts of "illness" as the itis. Not know how to explain it, I entrusted my knowledge to Google search.
itis- a form of any random disease as deemed by one, Steve Taylor; a "food coma;" or according to www.urbandictionary.com, an STD.
I may not be using this term any longer. I fear that my beloved husband has lead my vocabulary astray.