Have you seen the news about Sigg water bottles? You know, the ones that cost a bundle and assured us all during the big BPA scandals back in ‘06 that they were safe? Well, Sigg now admits that those bottles actually contain BPA! What’s a Momster to think?

I wrote about Sigg back in 2006 and was specifically impressed that they did not leach toxic residue into liquids. I trusted their claims about their “proprietary water-based resin"... baked onto the aluminum bottle. Exceeding FDA standards, Sigg asserts that the "liner is safe, petroleum-products free, and will not leach aluminum or any synthetic residue.” Now I see that they did not specifically say they didn’t contain BPAs, but they certainly committed a sin of omission given that parents all over were freaking out about BPA and they positioned themselves as a safe option. I was new to my Momster mission, and more trusting that companies wouldn’t lie just to sell product. And we’ve used our Sigg bottles continuously since, blissfully ignorant. Treehugger, on the other hand, did bring up the issue in 2008 and came to this conclusion: “We are not sure if the lining of SIGG bottles is made with BPA or not, but we like the results of the testing, which is what really matters. Just be certain to buy the real thing and not a knock-off.”

So now Sigg says that yes, bottles made before 2008 did contain BPA, but they still didn’t leach BPA. But their new liners are BPA-free. So, I feel kinda OK that they don’t leach harmful chemicals, but really mad that Sigg led us to believe that their bottles were BPA-free. And can I trust them now? It’s a frustrating world if you’re asking questions and trying to be aware.

Naturally, Steve Wasik, CEO, SIGG Switzerland wants us to feel assured:

“Within the reusable bottle water category, polycarbonate plastic bottles (#7) came under scrutiny in early 2008 because they were found to leach BPA. As a result, many consumers turned to metal bottles (aluminum and stainless steel) because these bottles had no issues with BPA migration. Prior to its transition, SIGG utilized a water-based epoxy liner which contained a trace amount of BPA. The bottles were thoroughly and regularly tested in both the USA and Switzerland and all tests revealed absolutely no migration or leaching of BPA or any other substance from the protective inner liner. These tests have been public information on the SIGG website for several years and remain there today.”

Well, I was writing back in 2006, and they were posing themselves as an alternative to BPA leaching bottles. And I wonder if some sort of tests will come to light that could show that the old liners did leach toxins? If we can’t trust the Swiss, who can we trust?? Do you have a Sigg bottle? How do you feel about this issue? Is it a breach of trust, or just a company doing the best it can to keep up with the concerns of the times?