Six reasons we love Goodbyn lunch boxes

Six new colours, six reasons we love Goodbyn...

(1) In our house, Goodbyn are the only lunch boxes we have bought for two years, which I feel makes them great value. The children have used theirs every day for school for two years and they are still going strong.  The plastic is sturdy but flexible, and there are no hinges to break.

There is no need to buy a new kids lunch box each year. The kids can apply Goodbyn stickers to refresh the design they want on their lunch box.

(2) Only one lid to keep track of - and it always seems to come home (unlike the 10 or so other containers in my drawer whose lids have disappeared, or vice versa).

How to close the Goodbyn lid? First, push down firmly on the two horizontal ridges across the middle, then pinch together all around the outside edges. Once the kids get the knack it is easy.

(3) The kids love packing their own lunch - what more do you want in the mornings? :-) For some reason they enjoy filling the little compartments and making their lunch look all creative and neat. They seem much more motivated to pack their own (or, is that because they want to sneak extra treats in...?)

(4) The layout of little compartments makes it easier for me to pack the lunches when I need to! It breaks things down into five sections that require less brain power to fill - sandwich here, fruit there, some dip there, crackers here and a sweet treat there. Done!

(5) Goodbyns are made from food-safe plastic, no PVC (unlike most soft lunch boxes), no lead, no BPA, phthalate-free and its made in the USA.

Rather than a faceless manufacturer, we know the story behind who makes them and who is accountable for the safety and environmental performance.  Goodbyn makes public their product testing results

(6) There's something about Bento boxes and a plastic wrap-free lunch!  Lunch seems much more appetising when it is not squished inside sweaty plastic wrap, but rather laid out in the Bento system. The Japanese have served food in this way for centuries after all.

Six new fruity colours now available in Australia in Goodbyn original and Bynto sizes, plus ice packs, three types of stickers and replacement bottles.

Visit here to see all of Biome's lunch boxes.

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What is a super food?

What is a super food? And why are we interested?

At Biome, we have a little belief statement that guides all we do and offer to our customers.

We believe in...

the power of simple choices
respect for all who share our planet
plants, not petrochemicals
sun-grown, not synthetic
hand made with heart
honesty in labelling 
a 2nd useful life for everything, and
nature having the answers ... if only we will listen

On the last point, we do believe that nature has the answers for so many diseases and problems affecting our planet, and that is why we are interested in so called "super foods".

Super food refers to foods with a high phytonutrient content and the term is often used to imply those foods have certain health benefits.  You might have heard of blueberries, Açai and Goji berries and wheatgrass.
 
Of course, such claims are wide open for marketing misuse about their powers, so as with everything, add a healthy dose of scepticism and be sure of the quality of the produce and how it is grown, processed and transported.  And, eating fresh fruit in season locally has got to be better for you. 

Aside from nutrition, scientists and environmentalists have for many years alerted us to the potential loss of disease curing plants when rainforests are destroyed - another huge incentive to save our rainforests.  As this article explains, indigeneous peoples have used rainforest medicinal plants for thousands of years and modern pharmacologists have derived a number of drugs from such plants, including one with anti-HIV properties.

You could say that all the natural skin care and green cleaning products that Biome has chosen offer solutions or super powers from nature, like a natural deodorant relying on mineral salts, or skin soothing and healing rose hip oil.  Let's call them "super skincare" and "super cleaning"!  We applaud natural product manufacturers who are looking for the answers in nature rather than synthetic chemical formulations.

More about super fruits

Blueberries are exceptionally high in antioxidants, they can help treat urinary tract infections and because of a compound contained in the blue pigmentation of blueberry skin, they help protect eyesight by accelerating the production of retinal purple, a substance critical for good vision (source: Australian Blueberries).

While Blueberries are native to North America, the Amazon is home to the  Açai berry (the berry of a palm tree). Not only does the Açai Berry have a highest antioxidants of any fruit, it also contains protein, fiber, and Omega 6 and Omega 9 essential fatty acids.

See Biome's range of products containing super foods online and in our stores, including the Amazing Grass organic Kids superfood powder and Bio-bubble probiotic.

We would be happy to hear from you about your favourite super food....

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Non stick cookware - a cautionary tale

A cautionary tale

So far this story has followed a plot-line similar to that of so many human-created chemicals.  Invented by accident, its benefits are found to make life easier or more enjoyable for people - and more pofitable for companies.  The product is released on the world without caution, before proper testing of its health and environmental impacts.  Decades later, the chemical is found to be harmful in its manufacture or use.  The company knows this, but covers it up, until a group of concerned citizens fights for long enough to gain the attention of Government regulatory bodies.  Think CFCs, cigarettes, BPA, DDT ...

It is the tale of a synthetic fluropolymer called Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) - most well known by the DuPont brand name Teflon - along with its stablemate PFOA.  Among the many uses for PTFE is making non stick cookware.  PFOA, which is cancer causing and lethal to birds, is used in the manufacture of PTFE.  It is also used to make oil and water-repellent coatings on carpet, textiles, leather and paper, like microwave popcorn bags.

PTFE was invented accidentally in 1938 by a scientist who was attempting to make a new CFC refrigerant. In the early 60's Marion A. Trozzolo, who had been using the substance on scientific utensils, marketed the first US-made Teflon coated frying pan, "The Happy Pan." (Wikipedia)

In 2004, DuPont (who still uses PFOA in the manufacture of PTFE) paid US$300 million to 50,000 residents living near one of its US plants.  The residents had brought a class action claiming it was responsible for contaminating local water supplies with PFOA, causing birth defects and other health hazards.

In 2006, a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientific advisory board recommended PFOA be labelled a 'likely carcinogen' (cancer-causing) in humans.  The EPA asked DuPont, and seven other companies that use PFOA in manufacturing processes, to phase out its use. DuPont has agreed to take steps to make sure that by the year 2015, the chemical would not be released into the environment from its manufacturing plants, though it has not agreed to stop using it, or to stop making Teflon. The problem for Dupont is, as it stands now, it cannot make Teflon without this chemical, though it says it is looking for a substitute.  Quoted from an excellent article by Peter Lavelle on the Australian ABC website The Pulse.

It further transpires that DuPont had known for several decades that PFOA is harmful and kept quiet about it!  The EPA did at least fine DuPont for this behaviour (ref: The Washington Post) .

Are Teflon and other PTFE containing non stick pans safe?

The Peter Lavelle article summarises: 
...non-stick fry pans can release toxins. At high temperatures Teflon is known to give off a cocktail of 15 types of toxic particles and gases, including trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and phosgene. These chemicals are known to be poisonous to birds. And in humans they cause headaches, chills, backache, and fever - a condition known as 'Teflon flu'.
DuPont admits this, but it says in humans the condition is reversible, and in any case it only occurs at high temperatures, not during normal cooking use.

Government authorities and DuPont say that Teflon and other PTFE non stick pans and cookware are safe as long as you cook at low to medium heat, do not heat the pan empty, don't allow oils to smoke, etc etc.

I would be particularly cautious about cheap "no name" brands of non stick pans.  I imagine the quality of the coating would be questionable and more easily broken down into toxins, plus there is little accountability from the manufacturer. 

Wikipedia explains:
At 200 °C PTFE is detectable and it evolves several fluorocarbon gases. It begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 260 °C, and decomposes above 350 °C (662 °F). These degradation by-products can be lethal to birds, and can cause flu-like symptoms in humans.

Meat is usually fried between 200 and 230 °C, and most oils will start to smoke before a temperature of 260 °C is reached - although refined safflower oil and avocado oil have a higher smoke point than 260 °C so you wouldn't know. Empty cookware can also exceed this temperature upon heating.

Safe non stick cookware alternatives

Biome simply supports the precautionary principle - better safe than sorry.  We also aim to question any use of synthetic chemicals and whether there is a safe, more natural alternative.  I also have no idea how you would tell what temperature your non stick pan had reached?

All cookware uses some form of metal and synthetic process to manufacture the pan, unless we're going to cook over an open fire on sticks, or use the sun to cook an egg on a rock!  Unless you can think of other methods...?

Glass is the safest of materials, but it is certainly not non-stick, as proven by hours of scrubbing lasagne of my glass Pyrex dish.

We have chosen the Neoflam non-stick cookware range that is now stocked in both our stores and online.

Neoflam is a cast aluminum cookware coated with Ecolon™ non-stick coating. Ecolon is a ceramic based coating which is mostly made of silicon dioxide (also known as silica or SiO₂), a material most commonly found in nature such as stone and sand. No emissions are released at any temperature and there are no heavy metals such as Cadmium, Lead and Mercury in the coating.

Aside from the great features below, I love cooking with Neoflam!  The fry pan is a joy to use - lightweight and easy to clean.  I've tried other safe non-stick cookware that is much heavier and unweildy.  I love that it is ovenproof also.  A friend who is a Chinese chef was delighted with his Neoflam wok. He said the "fried rice was dancing"!

• Highly durable and scratch resistant - non stick coating lasts longer than conventional non stick
• Oven safe
• Has the benefits of cast iron thick base cookware, but is actually lightweight
• Great value prices compared with other brands marketed as premium options
• Ecolon coated cookware uses less energy and achieves faster cooking times due to better thermal conductivity
• Less C02 emissions than Teflon manufacturing

According to Neoflam, most PTFE coating can only withstand up to 4H pencil testing. PTFE coating releases chemicals at 240°C. On the contrary, Ecolon can withstand 8H hardness testing and will not melt up to 450°C.

Ecolon coated cookware can cook an egg without using any oil. And clean up is a breeze too, both inside and outside.  Ecolon's non-stick coating performance may appear to be slightly less than a PTFE-based non-stick coating. However, Ecolon's advantage comes from its durability, maintaining the same non-stick performance even after repeated use.

See the full range of Neoflam non stick cookware at Biome Eco Stores.

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Water filter bottle - no more excuses!

Confession! I do sometimes still grab water in a disposable bottle because it generally tastes so much better than what comes out of my tap at home or a public fountain. Some places may have better tasting tap water, but Brisbane seems to be heavy on the chlorine (although see the addedum below on LifeStraw and why we shouldn't complain!).

Usually, I do fill up my reusable water bottle from our beautiful Southern Cross Pottery water purifier on the bench at home.  I love the taste of the water that comes out of the purifier compared with the chemical-heady scent of Brisbane's tap water.  But, we have some little munckins in our house that love to empty the purifier and not refill it.  Or, it may be that I'm on-the-go and need a water refill, but my tummy just can't handle another dose of chlorine.

Well now, there is no need for anymore excuses because we have some fantastic water filter bottle choices at Biome.  What about when you're camping and only have muddy creek water, you ask?  Still no excuses...

The Fill2Pure stainless steel water bottle removes 99.99% of contaminants and according to the manufacturer will prevent most water borne illnesses for travellers.  They say you can even fill from a muddy creek and instantly drink safe, clean water.  Fill2Pure elimiates chlorine as well as fluoride, an important feature for many people who live in areas where fluoride is added to the water, such as Brisbane. See the details below of exactly what is removed.

While a Fill2Pure bottle requires one to suck water through the filter with some gusto, the Australian-designed and made (hoorah!) BPA-free 321water filter bottle  filters by a plunger or french press mechanism. This allows the clean water to be easily sipped from the bottle.  The 321water bottle's carbon filter absorbs chlorine, organic compunds and other unpleasant odours, so it is ideal for anyone who simply wants great tasting water on the go.

Fill2Pure also provide a BPA-free plastic version that is much easier to drink from because you can squeeze the bottle to help push water through the filter. This would be suitable for children.


What does the Fill2Pure filter eliminate
Fill2Pure removes up to 99.9% of contaminants including:

• Aesthetics: unpleasant taste, odours, dirt, silt, cloudiness, sediment
• Micro-biological organisms: harmful bacteria, pathogens, Giardia, E-coli, etc.
• Chemicals: Chlorine, flouride, arsenic, detergent, pesticides, DDT, DDD, PCB, PCE, industrial waste, etc
• Dissolved solids: heavy metals - aluminium, asbestos, copper, lead, zinc, mercury, etc.
• Radiologicals: Radon, Radium, Uranium, etc.

The only equivalent in our benchtop ceramic water filter systems is the Fluoride Reduction water purifier that removes 99.75% of fluoride inexpensively and efficiently. Read here for full details on how the fluoride reduction filter works.

LifeStraw
Thank you to one of our Facebook fans for the referral to this awesome product and business. A visit to this website helps put back into perspective that our tap water is nothing to be complained about!   LifeStraw is a personal water filter (like a large straw) that makes it possible to drink from any freshwater creek, lake or puddle and is being used throughout the developing world.  There's also an incredible saving in resources compared with bottled water.

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Shout Dad an Aussie organic beer

While at the Organic Expo in Sydney recently we were very happy to taste some of Australia's fine organic wines and even a beer!

We were particularly excited about the Burragumbilli Certified Organic Lager and thought it would be a great treat for Dad on Father's Day…without the hangover!

A boutique beer brewed in New South Wales, Burragumbilli is growing in popularity and reputation as a quality, clean tasting “green” choice for the thinking drinker. It has no added sugar, no preservatives and no harmful chemical residues.

The beer follows an organic processing chain from farm to malt house to brewery and bottling to achieve the high status Australian Certified Organic (ACO) certification.

Organic malts and hops have no chemical residues to interfere with fermentation producing a clean, unadulterated beer. Organic lager has exceptional clarity without the use of harmful chemical fining agents, and it has a clean, flavourful taste.



Would you like a cocktail with that beer?
If you are drinking a beer that is not certified organic you are likely to be imbibing a chemical cocktail at the same time.  It can include the residues from farming processes, storage and preservative requirements, several of which are carcinogenic, as well as residues of industrial cleaners and chemical additives to the brew such as flavours, colours, and preservatives.

The benefit of organic beverages is not only are they chemical free but they are also either preservative free or produced with low preservatives, which has a proven tendency to be gentler on your system with less headaches the next day.

Burragumbilli barley and hops are grown without industrial fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides or fungicides and therefore are without the common chemical residues of conventionally grown crops. Hops in particular are very susceptible to fungal diseases and conventionally grown crops generally require fungicidal applications. Organic hops must be grown with wider spaced plants and rigorous pruning to improve sunlight penetration and airflow to restrict fungal infections.

Where to buy a Burra 

Check the list of retail outlets for Burragumbilli organic beer here. If your local bottle shop doesn’t already, why not ask them to start stocking Burragumbilli. Plus, it now has the distinction of being the first organic beer offered on Virgin Australia international and some domestic flights.

Organic Wines

The 2009 Temple Bruer Thistle Hill Riesling was awarded the Best Wine of Show & Best White at the Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show, whilst the 2007 Temple Bruer Shiraz Malbec Preservative Free took the Best Red & Best Preservative Free trophy.

Temple Bruer is regarded as one of the pioneers in organic viticulture and oenological practices in Australia. David and Barbara Bruer established a small vineyard in the early 1970's on a property situated on the main road between the towns of Strathalbyn and Milang, in the grape growing district of Langhorne Creek in South Australia. David was in charge of Roseworthy College's Oenology Department before becoming a full-time vigneron, while Barbara also taught chemistry at Roseworthy College and Flinders University for ten years.

Today Temple Bruer is Australia's largest certified organic label and its reputation for quality wine is firmly established.

www.organicwine.com.au is an online wine retailer specialising in organic wine, biodynamic wine and preservative free wine.  Organic, biodynamic, and minimal interference practices when employed competently lead to a superior and unique quality product. The individual “personality” of each wine can be fully expressed for us all to savour.

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