UPDATE: I wrote this post many years ago. At the time of writing, the links I used were legitimate Tupperware links. Since the writing of this article Tupperware has updated not only their website, breaking my links, but also their products. I am happy to report, straight from Tupperware.com, "As of March 2010, items sold by Tupperware US & CA are BPA free."
In response to some of the comments that I have not responded to: yes, I know BPA is in many different items. I do have that in mind while I grocery shop. We limit our use of canned good, using fresh as much as possible. We use very little plastic in our home, relying mostly on Pyrex glassware. We do not use plastic water bottles, instead opting for glass or stainless steel. This article reflects my opinions at the time of its writing, 2008. This is not a scam, the links, at the time, were working, but as the internet changes so do internet links.
As a former consultant, I feel the need to get this out there. I have supported Tupperware for a long time, the majority of my kitchen is outfitted in Tupperware, but I'm slowly converting it. I just can not support a company that believes a harmful chemical is safe, a company that wouldn't initially come clean about just what it's products contained. I do not want to post the full article, but will quote a few excerpts.
Certain Tupperware products are made from polycarbonate, including serving products and Rock 'N Serve? storage and cooking containers. However, polycarbonate is NOT used in Tupperware baby bottles or toys.
On the strength of the repeated governmental scrutiny that polycarbonate has had, Tupperware continues to believe the material is safe. However, as Tupperware has the highest regard for the safety of the consumers of its products and the functionality of these products, it will continue to closely monitor this scientific debate and research the best materials for use in its products.
You can check out Tupperware's BPA FAQ for more information or skip straight to the list. Unfortunately, not all items are on the list. We can't be certain that some BPA-containing items were left off. And if you were thinking of just checking the recycling codes on your items, you're out of luck. Tupperware items carry a lifetime guarantee and therefore are not expected to be recycled and so do not require codes.
The list, as I said, contains only a few items on it. The ever popular Heat 'N Serve and Rock 'N Serve line do contain BPA! Other popular items include the Microsteamer, the Oval Microwave Cooker, and the Microwave Luncheon Plates. I suspect the Sheerly Elegant line of items also contain BPA, they seem to be same type of plastic as some confirmed items.
I was a consultant once, too – about 25 years ago. My cupboards are still filled with TW. Since you’ve seemingly done the research already, I was wondering if you would do me the favor of sharing what your know. I know to get rid of all my 30-year old freezer containers, and am in the process of replacing them. We no longer microwave in anything plastic – always glass or Corningware. My BIG question is: all my canisters, sandwich containers, etc – are they leaching into our food? Do I need to replace it all, considering it is all around 20 years old? (Amazing how well it holds up!)
Thanks for sharing,
Laura PS: I homeschooled, back in the day, too!
Laura, I too was a consultant about 25 years ago and echo your exact post with regards to the Tupperware I have my kitchen outfitted with. As a recent breast cancer survivor I have also started purging my old Tupperware as I am convinced that the chemicals in our environment are behind the increase in many cancers particularly the hormone influenced ones. That being said, I would also be interested in whether the chemicals also leach out of our “dry food” containers…my hunch is that they do. I would very much like to hear a definitive answer to that too.
The link below states “As of March 2010, items sold by Tupperware US & CA are BPA free.”
I emailed Tupperware to find out if they’d exchange all products produced before March 2010.
Please update on Tupperware response regarding replacement, I have boxes and boxes of them and they were all manufactured before 2010. Half are even unopened. I just stopped using them as soon as I became aware of BPA. Thanks in advance!
My Mother was a Tupperware dealer post-retirement and I inherited her sampler kit as well as many items she had purchased. Many of these items were placed into storage sight unseen in 2001 when she needed to go into a nursing home. While unearthing these items recently, I found a cache of “Ultra 21” ovenware. But when I searched on Tupperware’s website the terms weren’t even recognized. Thank you to those who have posted about further links. I will search further. Also, instead of ditching BPA-unsafe items, I use them to organize non-food items: in the garage, laundry room, bathroom, garden items such as fertilizer pods, etc.
That is the most absurd thing I have ever read. Please be aware that all those water bottles that people are toting around contain large amounts of BPA as do all your register receipts. Do you have any idea how much stuff in your world contains BPA? How about all of your canned goods. Do you buy that. Do you let it sit on your shelves and then feed your family with it. I assure you there is more BPA IN your food than the trace amounts found in old Tupperware.
You’re right, BPA is everywhere and in many things. But, many of us choose to limit our exposure as best we can and not using old Tupperware is one of many steps we can take to do so.
My post has been updated to reflect Tupperware’s statement that as of March 2010 Tupperware products in US and CA are BPA free.
the water bottles that contain bpa are the hard rigid water bottles, not the water bottles that are sold as single serve spring or purified water. They are packaged in #1 PET plastic, which are tested to be bpa free. People are trying to limit their exposure to bpa, and it Tupperware stated their products prior to 2010 , as they have , then replacing these products will help eliminate exposure. As a person with sensitivities, eliminating any possible sources of unneeded chemicals is necessary to maintain a healthy being.
Strangely, none of the links in this post go where they say they will – instead, they to to Tupperware’s home page. Searching the site and the BLOG for “BPA” yields nothing. Where are your alleged sources? Looks like a scam to me.
I assure you this is not a scam. The links are broken because Tupperware has updated their website since the writing of this post in 2008.
I am happy to report that, according to the Tupperware website today, July 25, 2015, their products are BPA free. “As of March 2010, items sold by Tupperware US & CA are BPA free.” I am certain this applies only to NEW products manufactured since that time, not to old Tupperware products that many of us have in our kitchen.
I called and spoke to a Tupperware customer service rep, who was very helpful. He asked me to give him the item numbers printed on the bottom of all the containers and lids that I was concerned about, after which he informed me exactly what each item was and what material it was made of. 🙂 ALL of my old (80’s/90’s) Tupperware is “Polythene”. Although current polythene products are supposedly safe, we can’t be sure exactly what other chemicals went into Tupperware’s manufacturing of their old products; plus, they’re just that – OLD – so, has age also deteriorated them? I do know that, currently, those who manufacture polythene products discourage heating it, since it causes leeching of gases. I most likely heated items in my containers, and wonder now if that, in itself, compromised its safety. I may simply use them for organizing non-food items.
Stephanie – even old links are still useful, thanks to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine (archive.org – wonderful tool that has, at different times, helped me find once-available resources like the ones you reference here, and allowed me to get archived information from sites temporarily unavailable due to hacks and/or maintenance). Just paste any link into the search box at the top of the Wayback page and you can browse snapshots of that link archived on various dates in the past. The article you referred to first shows up in the archive on May 13, 2008; was still alive and kicking (with, not surprisingly, updated information – including an “Effective March 2010, Tupperware ceased using polycarbonate…” message) on Nov 17th of 2011; and had disappeared by Oct 24, 2012.
Internal links on those archived pages generally point to archived copies of the linked pages as well. The computer scientist in me loves how cool that whole service is, the “now where did I put my keys?” 50+ year-old in me appreciates the sanity tether it provides 🙂
[Note – I tried to include direct links to the wayback machine and to archived snapshots, but WordPress wasn’t pleased with me putting any urls into this message. Oh well.]
I do not understand why you equate “BPA free” with safety. It just means that product doesn’t contain BPA specifically. It doesn’t cover BPS or any of the other bisphenols (used instead of BPA) which are actually more toxic than BPA. You also don’t seem concerned about the petrochemicals used in all plastic manufacture, particularly the leaching of benzene and related chemicals, from plastic into food (leaving plastic water bottles,in your car is enough). Tupperware are very close mouthed about these issues – try asking them. My sister is a Tupperware lady (to my eternal shame) and she know less about the product manufacturing process than I do. They deliberately withhold information from their salespeople so they can not answer awkward questions.
I love, love, absolutely LOVE my set of Tupperware Rock n Serve. I have had it since I think the early 90’s. I use it every day. I microwave in it. I freeze in it. I eat out of it. I throw it in a bag and bring my lunch to work in it. I have boxed it up to get rid of it at least 4 times. I bought all glass Pyrex and Snapware. Piece by piece I would pull my rock n serve out of the box. Nothing else works like it. Microwave it – it never gets hot. Don’t finish everything, put a lid on it and into the fridge or freezer it goes. Out of the freezer, straight into the microwave and the eat right out of it. I could actually throw out ALL of my other containers – Tupperware and all and just keep my 7 pieces of Rock n Serve and I would not miss a beat in the cooking/storing/transporting food department. I’ve tried to reconcile the danger people are reporting but along with Twinkies and sweet tea and white bread, and Coca Cola, it’s not worth giving up.
Folks, how come many of the above written postings still casually make mention of microwave usage. Haven’t they picked up on the dangers involved in frequency alteration of foodstuffs during microwaving resulting in degradation of their nutritional value? Also, poisons we allow in our bodies, no matter how small the quantity or frequency will definitely accumulate as well as degrade our general health & in particular immune system, if not immediately then definitely over time. Who in the world relishes the thought of living our golden, mature years, in best case scenario mind you, chained, by means of an i.v., to a hospital bed.
Okay let’s talk about skin care products!
I thought I would share the below email thread after contacting Tupperware about BPA. Please note, Tupperware’s own web site identifies the Rock ‘n Serve microwave containers as positively containing BPA. I had no plans to purchase Tupperware again in the future, but this “customer care” experience really showed me they don’t care one bit about those of use who invested our money into their products.
Tupperware Customer Care
9:26 AM (9 hours ago)
to: me
Subject: Rock ‘n Serve BPA containers
Dear,
Thank you for contacting us and for giving us the opportunity to assist you.
Our Tupperware items have been tested to see if they had any BPA and BPS and the they did not had these type of chemicals even the older Tupperware items from back on the 60’s and in our website it says that after 2010 items are 100% BPA free but that does not mean that the older Tupperware purchase before that year have BPA or BPS as they were tested and they did not had this type of harmful chemical. Unfortunately we don’t have an exchange program for this as they are safe to be used and they don’t have those chemicals.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.
Sincerely,
Jorge
Tupperware Customer Care
—————Original Message—————
From: me
Subject:* EXTERNAL EMAIL * Re: Rock ‘n Serve BPA containers
Could I have specific answers to my individual product questions and my inquiry about warranty, and not a form letter reply?
Thank you.
On Wed, Feb 15, 2017 at 11:51 PM, Tupperware Customer Care wrote:
Subject: Rock ‘n Serve BPA containers
Dear ,
Tupperware management takes product design, functionality and, especially, health and safety very seriously. The materials used to manufacture Tupperware® products meet or surpass all applicable laws and regulations for product safety in the countries in which they are sold and are deemed safe for their intended uses by regulatory agencies throughout the world responsible for products in contact with food. Consumers can continue to have confidence that Tupperware’s food preparation, microwave, storage and serving containers made of polycarbonate are safe for their intended uses.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.
Sincerely,
Juan
Tupperware Customer Care
—————Original Message—————
Rock ‘n Serve BPA containers
I purchased several Rock ‘n Serve containers around 10 years ago that I have now learned contained BPA. They were purchased directly from the Tupperware web site. I would like to know how you are handling returns or warranty replacements for customers who unknowingly purchased these potentially unsafe items. I also have a large hard plastic bowl with the code 2217B-2 on the bottom and I cannot determine what line this is from and if it contains BPA. Thank you.
I have two items of Tupperware one the small measuring 2cup picture and the large 2qt measuring pictures. I am assuming that they do indeed contain BPA’S.
Should I toss them or save them as collectors items?
Pitchers my auto correct sucks!