Silicone baby spoon products have replaced plastic baby spoons as a non-toxic alternative. However, over the last decade, more and more people have questioned silicone as safe because of harmful by-products and added chemicals. Silicone is primarily used in baby feeder accessories, such as baby feeder spoons.
So, is silicone baby feeder spoons safe? Platinum grade silicone is a safe choice for baby spoon products. It is non-toxic, can withstand heating and freezing, and doesn’t leach harmful chemicals. However, lower-grade silicone used in some baby spoon products is considered unsafe. These studies highlight the importance of choosing high-quality silicone spoon feeder products online and being safe. The high-quality silicone is also known as platinum-cured or platinum grade silicone.
Silicone is the most popular material choice for baby spoons and baby feeder spoons. We think it is essential for parents to better understand the material – silicone. You may also want to consider why silicone baby feeder spoons are better baby spoon alternatives. Keep reading to find out more.
Are Silicone Spoons Harmful To Babies?
Silicone is a non-toxic polymer, rubber-like material malleable enough to shape into products like silicone baby spoons. The material is not 100% naturally occurring as processed from silica. Its appeal lies in its outstanding ability to resist heating and freezing damage to avoid off-gassing unsafe chemicals – unlike plastics. It further outperforms plastic as it is odorless, stain-resistant, hypoallergenic, and easy to clean. The material is durable, lightweight, and unbreakable, making it a more popular choice for a baby spoon and baby spoon feeders than the glass and stainless steel alternatives recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Silicone quickly surpassed plastic in the last decade as the number one choice for baby feeder spoons from the discovery that plastic baby utensils leached harmful chemicals such as BPA and phthalates. However, in recent years studies have found that low-quality grade silicone products may leach toxic chemicals into our baby’s food too.
Researchers and health professionals are concerned about lower-grade silicone products as they may contain harmful chemicals and by-products from the manufacturing process. One study revealed toxic chemicals such as D4, D5, and D6 leached into the baby formula from some silicone bottle nipples. Other experts are concerned about intentionally added chemicals in silicone products.
However, many health organizations such as Health Canada suggest there is still no conclusive evidence that silicone baby feeder products are unsafe. The organization promotes Silicone baby feeders as a safer alternative to plastic as they don’t react with baby food or beverages or produce any hazardous fumes. They advocate buying approved premium-grade silicone-based baby spoon feeder products.
At Wawita, we always recommend high-quality silicone grade products as the safe choice for your baby.
What is Silicone, and how is it processed?
Silicones are substances made up of siloxane. Typically, silicones are characterized as oil or rubber-like and usually odorless and colorless, although the color is often added during product production.
If you like to get technical, the silicone production process is long with numerous steps. It originates in sand or quartzite with a concentrated silicone element and is processed using either natural gas or coal. Therefore, silicone contains the elements silicon, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen.
As silicone is a processed substance that is highly durable, it is not bio-degradable, but it is recyclable. To recycle your silicone baby spoons, they must go to specialized facilities.
The Pros And Cons Of Silicone in Baby Feeder Spoon Products
It is essential to consider all benefits and downfalls when choosing the best quality baby feeder products. We weigh the pros and cons of silicone in baby spoon feeders in the table below.
| Pros of Silicone in baby spoon feeder products | Cons of Silicone in baby spoon feeder products |
| Long lifetime | Low-quality designs may contain harmful additives such as D4, D5, and D6 or by-products |
| More sustainably sourced than plastic spoon feeders | Is not biodegradable |
| High-quality silicone spoons are safe as they avoid leaching and off-gassing unsafe chemicals | |
| High-quality silicone spoons are non -toxic | |
| hypoallergenic | |
| Lightweight material | |
| Easy to clean | |
| Stain-resistant | |
| Recyclable | |
| Degrading is not continuous with the use | |
| Cost-effective |
How Can I Tell If A Product is Made from Low-Quality Silicone?
There are a few ways to distinguish whether your baby products like baby feeder spoons use high-quality silicone in their manufacturing. We recommend that before you buy baby feeder products such as baby feeder spoons, you check the labels or descriptions that do not contain D4, D5, and D6, unsafe products. The label should also stipulate no added chemicals or BPA-Free.
If you have already bought silicone products or thrown away the packaging, you can gauge the silicon’s quality through smell and discoloring. Your leading indicator of low-grade silicone products is the smell; if it smells artificially strong and chemically, then your baby product is of lower grade.
There is also a pinch and twist test you can do on your silicone baby spoon feeder’s flat surface. Pure silicone does not change color when twisted, so if white shows through, the product may be made from lower quality silicone.
At Wawita, we always recommend high-quality silicone grade products as the safe choice for your baby.
What Is Medical Grade Silicone In Baby Feeder Accessories?
Medical grade silicone is the most popular material of choice for many baby accessories, especially baby bottle nipples. Medical grade means that the silicone is FDA approved and tested. The silicone is specifically designed to react safely in babies ‘ mouths. Scientists recommend medical grade silicone because it is toxin-free, hypoallergenic, latex-free, and non-porous, therefore resisting bacterial growth.
Any food contact substance, including silicone baby accessories, must adhere to FDA guidelines. At Wawita, we work with quality products in various FDA approved materials, such as glass, bamboo, and silicone.
Comparing Silicone And Other Material Baby Products
The AAP recommends stainless steel and glass baby spoon alternatives, but their weight and glasses’ fragility makes them shatterproof and lightweight
Plastic Vs. Silicone Baby Spoon Feeders
Silicone has largely replaced plastic as the material of choice for baby spoon feeder products. While you can still purchase plastic baby spoons, many baby spoon manufacturers meet high demands for silicone-based baby spoon feeders as advocated by organizations like the FDA, American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), and Canada Health.
The AAP published reports raising concerns over plastic baby spoons that contain chemicals like BPA and phthalates, which negatively impact the development of babies. These chemicals were leached into the food and liquid that the plastic spoons came into contact.
Consider the table below for the difference between plastic and silicone baby Spoon feeders.
| Plastic Baby Spoon Feeders | Silicone Baby Spoon Feeders |
| Shorter lifespan | Long lifetime |
| Degrade and easily broken | Durable and unbreakable |
| Leach unsafe chemicals into baby food and liquids | High-quality silicone spoons do not leach harmful chemicals |
| Not sustainably sourced | More sustainably sourced |
| Lightweight material | Lightweight material |
| Not Recyclable | Recyclable |
| Highly processed | Easy to clean |
| Not dishwasher friendly | Dishwasher friendly |
| Used in baby spoon specialty forms and purposes | |
| Stain-resistant | |
| Hypoallergenic | |
| Latex-free | |
| Non-toxic |
As parents, we know that plastic baby spoons are not always avoidable so consider these AAP recommendations for using plastic baby feeder spoons.
- Buy BPA-free phthalate-free products
- Buy phthalate-free products by avoiding recycling codes 3, 6 and 7
- Throw-away the plastic baby spoon feeder sets if there is any damage
Bamboo vs. Silicone Baby Spoon Feeders
Bamboo baby spoon feeders are great options as they are durable, eco-friendly, and stylish. As bamboo is completing natural and sturdy plant-based material, there are no added chemicals in the material’s processing.
Compared to Silicone Baby Spoon feeders, there is less variety in bamboo baby spoon types, sticking to traditional baby spoon shapes and purposes. The rubber-like silicone properties offer more diversity in the range of products, from conventional baby spoon shapes to Silicone Squeeze Spoon Bottle Feeders.
Bamboo offers some unique properties that silicone baby feeder spoons do not, like antibacterial properties. However, silicone baby spoons are slightly easier to clean, last longer, and are dishwasher compatible, unlike bamboo.
| Bamboo Baby Spoon Feeders | Silicone Baby Spoon Feeders |
| Shorter lifetime | Long lifetime |
| Durable | Durable and unbreakable |
| Non-Toxic with no added chemical with no leaching of harmful chemicals | High-quality silicone spoons do not leach harmful chemicals |
| Sustainably sourced | Less sustainably sourced |
| Not Recyclable | Recyclable |
| Biodegradable | Not biodegradable |
| Lightweight material | Lightweight material |
| Not dishwasher friendly | Dishwasher friendly |
| Easy to clean | Easy to clean |
| Porous material | Non-porous material |
| Offered in traditional baby spoon shapes and purposes | Stain-resistant |
| Antibacterial | Rubber-like material is available in traditional and specialty baby spoon shapes and purposes |
| Hypoallergenic |
Stainless Steel vs. Silicone Baby Spoon Feeders
Stainless steel baby spoon feeders are great options as they are durable, eco-friendly, and recommended by the AAP as an alternative to plastic. Stainless steel is non-porous and non-toxic; bamboo is an entirely natural and sturdy plant-based material. There are no added chemicals in the processing of the material.
Like bamboo, comparing Silicone Baby Spoon feeders with stainless steel options, there is less variety in the types of Stainless steel baby spoons available, sticking to traditional baby spoon shapes and purposes. They are solid and in thicker products can be weightier than silicone. Silicone is the better choice for the transportation of accessories.
| Stainless Steel Baby Spoon Feeders | Silicone Baby Spoon Feeders |
| Long lifetime | Long lifetime |
| Durable and unbreakable | Durable and unbreakable |
| Non-Toxic with no added chemical with no leaching of harmful chemicals | High-quality silicone spoons do not leach harmful chemicals |
| Sustainably sourced | Less sustainably sourced |
| Recyclable | Recyclable |
| Biodegradable | Not biodegradable |
| Lightweight material (although some products may be bulky than silicone) | Lightweight material |
| Dishwasher friendly | Dishwasher friendly |
| Non-Porous material | Non-Porous material |
| Easy to clean | Easy to clean |
| Stain-resistant | Stain-resistant |
| Offered in traditional baby spoon shapes and purposes | Available in traditional and specialty baby spoon shapes and purposes |
| Hypoallergenic |
Wawita Baby Spoon Feeder Material Recommendations
There is no doubt that silicone is a useful material for many baby feeder products, especially for baby spoon feeders. They are a great alternative to plastic baby feeder products as they have a longer lifespan, more durable, and a safer option than plastic.
At Wawita, we work with quality products in various FDA approved materials, such as glass, bamboo, and silicone. We value quality silicone materials and ensure that our silicone-based products are 100% BPA-Free, non-toxic, and chemical-free. We work with medical grade silicone for all our silicone-based baby products to ensure that your baby gets the best baby feeder accessories possible.
What is the Silicone Squeeze Spoon Bootle Feeder?
As mentioned, one of the excellent properties of silicone is its rubber-like structure. This means silicone is uniquely used to improve the baby spoon feeder’s traditional design with portability in mind.
At Wawita, we offer Silicone Squeeze Spoon Bottle Feeders. This specialty feeder spoon provides an easier way to feed your baby semi-solid foods. The baby bottle is made using our BPA-Free high-quality silicone.
Children on semi-solid or liquid foods are fed by parents simply squeezing the silicone base until the desired amount of food reaches the spoon. The silicone bottle allows you to hold three ounces of baby food from puree, baby cereal, oatmeal, fruit juices, vegetable puree, child medicine, and more.
As with all our products, we value safety and hygiene; you can use the hygienic cover to keep the spoon clean when the baby feeder spoon is mobile in a purse, diaper bag, or home.
At Wawita, we know that the transition from a liquid-based diet to semi-solids can be challenging and unclear for parents and babies alike. Our aim with the Silicone Squeeze Spoon Bottle Feeder is to make the adapting-period between bottle feeding and spoon-feeding more natural and gradually combining the advantages of bottle feeding and spoon-feeding. We trust that this product will make the transition for parents and babies easier.
If you are interested in any other of our silicone-based products visit our Wawita shop.
