What is silicone? Where does is come from and why do we use it to make our bowls and plates?
Silicone, bamboo, melamine, bamboo mixed with melamine (recently banned in Europe) different types of plastics – there is a wide variety of materials used to make baby and children’s tableware on the market. After careful research and thought, we chose to make our Stage 1 bowls and Stage 2 plates out of 100% pure food grade silicone. No – it’s not the easiest to manufacture. No – it’s not the cheapest, but we opted for this material over others for good reason. Here are some facts you may not know about silicone and why we believe it is the best material for your little one’s flatware.
1) SILICONE IS NOT A PLASTIC! Food grade silicone is a non-toxic polymer, mainly made of silica (a type of sand – yes, you read that correctly, white sand). It can withstand heating and freezing without leaching chemicals – unlike plastic, which contaminates food under these conditions. Of course, this makes it BPA free.
2) Silicone is flexible and bacteria and heat resistant, which makes it an ideal material for use in the kitchen. Light weight, easy to clean, hygienic and allergy friendly; it is perfect for our baby bowls and plates. The smooth surface makes it ideal for suction products. It will flex, but your little one is not getting it off the table! It’s non-porous surface does not allow bacteria to stick.
3) Deriving from sand, silicone is made of an abundantly natural resource. ‘Silicon’, the naturally occurring chemical that makes up silicone, is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust after oxygen. It is considered non-hazardous waste and can be recycled 100% in selected places (check with your local recycling centre).
4) Besides glass, silicone is probably the most natural material for use with tableware for children. Silicone does not smell before first use, but after some time you may notice an odour. This is actually the results of food oils and washing detergents clinging to each other on the surface of the product and not the silicone itself. This is because no chemicals are added to the silicone to make it rigid. There are several simple methods to remove the smell it has picked up – head to our blog here to read more.
5) All Nana’s Manner’s silicone products are made from 100% food grade silicone, tested and approved, meeting the highest safety standards. We test using independent bodies. Food grade silicone is tested to an even higher standard than required for silicone baby teethers!
Nana’s Manners Stage 1 Bowls and Stage 2 Plates are dishwasher safe, though hand-washing is great! We recommend using detergent that does not contain fragrances or additives. We're confident they will become a firm (-no pun intended!) favourite in your household and be used for years to come!
