The high speed Vita-Mix blender was invented in 1937 by William Grover Barnard, a pioneer in the health food industry, as a way to easily prepare healthy foods. Originally, it came with a safe, non-toxic stainless steel pitcher. But at some point, the company switched to plastic and discontinued the stainless version.

At first, the plastic pitchers were made from polycarbonate and contained the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA), a hormone-disruptor. Recently, Vita-Mix switched from polycarbonate to Eastman Tritan co-polyester, another type of plastic, which is BPA-free. However, recent studies have found that nearly all plastics contain hormone-disrupting additives, even those that are BPA-free. What's more, plastics manufacturers are unwilling to disclose the proprietary formulae used to make their plastics, so consumers have no way to know exactly what chemicals could leach out or if any particular plastic is truly safe.

A growing number of people want to feed their families fresh, whole foods and would also like to use the features of a high-powered blender like Vita-Mix. However, the idea of blending organic and whole foods at high speeds in a plastic container, and especially heating them in plastic, goes against the idea of healthy eating, since we know that plastics are more likely to leach toxic chemicals when heated or otherwise stressed. We want a non-plastic pitcher.

We understand that glass is not a viable option for Vita-Mix since it may not withstand such high speeds. Bringing back your original stainless steel pitcher or developing a new, updated stainless steel option would give those of us who avoid plastic foodware an alternative we could feel good about.