BPA Danger may be greater from Tin Cans than Water Bottles
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 04.17.08
Lambert/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Dangers of Bisphenol A (BPA) From canned food
According to the FDA, 17% of the American diet comes out of cans, and many of those have an epoxy liner made with Bisphenol A, a chemical which can mimic human estrogen and which is linked to breast cancer and early puberty in women. While the leaching of BPA from Nalgene water bottles and other polycarbonate bottles is a concern, the danger from canned food may be greater. The Environmental Working Group tested canned food bought across America and found BPA in more than half of them, at levels they call "200 times the government's traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals." There are no standards for BPA; it is allowed to be put in anything, and billions of pounds are produced each year. EWG found:
Of all foods tested, chicken soup, infant formula, and ravioli had BPA levels of highest concern. Just one to three servings of foods with these concentrations could expose a woman or child to BPA at levels that caused serious adverse effects in animal tests.
Source: Environmental Working Group
5 Ways to Beat BPA from Canned Food:
Don't use canned baby formula: All U.S. manufacturers use BPA-based lining on the metal portions of the formula containers. If you must use formula, choose powered or liquid in plastic bottles.
Don't eat canned food if you are pregnant. the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says "We don't want to tell people not to eat canned beans or tomatoes," said CSPI nutritionist David Schardt. "But at the same time, it makes sense for all parents, and especially pregnant and nursing women, to minimize the exposure of their kids' developing bodies and brains to BPA."
Buy in bottles, not cans. Many products, like tomato sauces, are available in bottles as well as cans. Does that white epoxy on the inside of the metal lid have BPA? Probably, but there is a lot less surface area than the whole inside of a can.
Start cooking instead of just heating. The fact that 17% of the American diet comes out of cans is just a scandal when we are surrounded by fresh food. Cook it from scratch and avoid the problem altogether.
Demand BPA-free cans. Not every manufacturer uses it; Some brands, like Eden Foods and Trader Joes are BPA free. See a list of common brands and company responses at Organic Grace.
Source: Environmental Working Group
The Bisphenol A Controversy
The American Chemistry Council continues to say "Human exposure to BPA from can coatings is minimal and poses no known risk to human health." Peter Foster at the National Post --an apologist for everything evil--asks, "But where are these "dozens of studies," and who did them? ", implying that everyone is relying on the work of one scientist, Frederick vom Saal. In fact, the Environmental Working Group lists over 100 peer-reviewed studies that found BPA to be toxic at low doses.
TreeHugger on Frederik vom Saal:
Chemical Found in Plastic Linked to Reproductive Disorders
Time to Pack In the Polycarbonates
The Perils of Being Thirsty While Being Green
Gender Bender Chemicals Also Make You Fat
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Ditch Bisphenol A (BPA) Now if You Want to Have Kids!
- Eat a Vegetarian Diet, Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by a Ton
- What is American Food? A Green Eating Manifesto
- Raw Food for the Rest of Us
- Plant a Chestnut Tree, Get More Carbon Offset For Your Buck
- Emeril's Corn and Potato Chowder (Video)
That's amazing. Makes me glad that I do prefer fresh when it's practical. This still has me thinking on options, though.
I noted that Trader Joe's brand was mentioned as have "BPA-free cans" in this thread. My family loves shopping at Trader Joes, so I want to say I am not a Joe's basher by any means - but we were hugely surprised to find that the Trader Joe's brand maple syrup that we got from them recently was packaged in a #7 plastic bottle!
We'd missed spotting this in the store or else we'd have avoided the purchase, but what a depressing find - and something I felt needed to be commented on since this post shows they are thought to be providing BPA-free cans. I guess the summary is to know what you're purchasing before you leave the store - even a good one like TJs. And, maybe just because the store says it's "BPA-free", we should really make sure of it in the first place.
We've tossed our syrup by the way - I have two small children and it's just not worth adding yet another thing harmful to them into their small bodies...
Are tin cans even used anymore? The only canned goods I have are put in steel or aluminum cans.
LA: it is an anachronism, you are right that cans are no longer made of tin but usually are steel. The important point is the epoxy lining.
I noted that Trader Joe's brand was mentioned as have "BPA-free cans" in this thread. My family loves shopping at Trader Joes, so I want to say I am not a Joe's basher by any means - but we were hugely surprised to find that the Trader Joe's brand maple syrup that we got from them recently was packaged in a #7 plastic bottle!
We'd missed spotting this in the store or else we'd have avoided the purchase, but what a depressing find - and something I felt needed to be commented on since this post shows they are thought to be providing BPA-free cans. I guess the summary is to know what you're purchasing before you leave the store - even a good one like TJs. And, maybe just because the store says it's "BPA-free", we should really make sure of it in the first place.
We've tossed our syrup by the way - I have two small children and it's just not worth adding yet another thing harmful to them into their small bodies...
It isn't the metal that is important here, it is the "freshness" lining that is. The "high" quality cans of tomato sauces have the coating so the food doesn't taste like the can. It seems like having increased iron(from steel) or aluminum in your food doesn't seem much of an alternative given their contributions to diseases.
@Doug
"Tin" cans are not used anymore, it's just a figure of speech left over from a long time ago, much like tin foil (aluminum). And yes, all cans have coatings, but only a few manufacturers use ones that do not contain BPA (Trader Joe's, Eden Foods, etc.).
So, when it says "chicken soup" - does that mean all brands? I'm a big soup eater - yikes! I had not heard about this. I knew about the bottles, but not this.
I'm sure there are several other illnesses that BPA causes that we aren't even aware of. Increased estrogen causes a host of health problems. It certainly explains the high increases in precocious puberty and such.
Thanks for the post,
Heather
http://retaildesigndiva.blogs.com
I heard an ad on the radio by safeway, for earthday they are goving away Green coupons to buy discounted bottled water and other soft drinks and junk food, and calling it green. Can someone set up some regulations to stop blatant greenwashing like this?
In response to Josh, not all #7 plastic contains BPA. Not saying that that Trader Joe's bottle does or does not contain BPA (I don't know), but you can't assume just from the plastic recycling number.
yet another reason to buy fresh...or frozen if you must.
Once again, another benefit to breastfeeding. Scary to think that people dont care who there hurt for the "convience" of living
What continues to baffle and enrage me is how quickly retailers and Government can jump to removing these products and label BPA a "Dangerous Substance" all because of some not-yet-understood health risks. And yet they can't bring themselves to label TOBACCO PRODUCTS as "Dangerous Substances" even though we clearly know that the health risks are ASTRONOMICAL.
The health risks to infants and the unborn fetus from second hand smoke have been extensively studied and clearly documented, and yet the government refuses to take the same swift action to remove cigarettes to protect the public.
If they remove BPA products and leave tobacco on the shelves, they have made a mockery of Health Canada,
Tobacco products:
- Are Highly addictive
- Kill more than 25,000 Canadians every year! (more than 8 times the death toll from 9/11)
- Have no other purpose except to addict and eventually kill the user.
And yet cigarettes sit on the store shelves growing ever larger health warnings and waiting for their next victim. The government is far too addicted to the taxes and the tobacco lobby money to really protect the public from an entirely preventable health crisis.
Every cent that the government or retailers get from the sale of tobacco products is Blood Money.
What about those cardboard-type boxes that some soups and tomato sauces come in? Would they be lined with the same epoxy-type lining?
I can make my own chicken broth, but I really don't want to spend August canning my own tomato sauce in glass jars.
I am surprised to hear you say that Trader Joe's cans are not lined with BPA. On the Environmental Working Group's blog, Amanda seemed to question the accuracy of the claim that TJ's cans are BPA free. Please see the comment thread: http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/03/bpa-questions-answered.htm
Please provide any further info on this as I am an avid TJ shopper and would love to resume buying their canned goods if they aren't lined with BPA
I don't want to diminish the importance of the BPA poisoning going on in our foods, but Earthgirl hit a big point.
The almight dollar has corrupted the government into allowing cigarettes to remain legal. The sadest part is the government is in turn spending far more than the tax dollars it takes in to combat the diseases brought on by cigarette smoke (both first-hand and second-hand smoke, which murders other people). The smokers know that they are harming and potentially killing those who are around them when they smoke, but they blatantly continue without a conscience.
Immediate steps need to be taken to stop this poisoning. The hypocrisy is astounding.
Eat whole natural foods and cook your own meals. If it's in a bag or canned avoid it if you can.
Actually, ALL plastics that are manufactured from polycarbonate (PC, #7) contain bisphenol A (PBA).
"It would not be possible to make the same polycarbonate plastic without bisphenol A, which is the primary ingredient that is chemically reacted to form the plastic."
Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D.
Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group
PBA has become Wal-Mart's new scapegoat and a major marketing disaster. Reading further into this issue, the levels tested from food contact are within acceptable levels. But again... It comes back to 'safety first'.
http://www.nalgenelabware.com/techdata/technical/phthalates.asp
If you want to read about a real poison plastic... Research PVC.
Russ Bowers
Packaging Engineer
Actually there is another plastic that is labeled #7, PLA (polyactide) which is made from renewable plant sources. It is not recycleable, but it can be composted, and the Green Guide considers it safe.
Note that NOT ALL #7 plastic bottles are BPA containing polycarbonate. The #7 is a catch all category that means "other." It refers to any plastic not included in #1 through #6 labels plus blends of any of the first 6 . This means that #7 also includes things like biobased plastics for which there is no number.
Nonetheless, #7 frequently is polycarbonate and avoiding #7 remains a good rule of thumb unless you have other information about what the product is made of.
Earthgirl, just thought I'd mention that breastmilk is not necessarily healthier than formula. They have identified several suspected carcinogenic chemicals used to make Teflon & Scotchgard in Human Milk. They have also found jet rocket fuel contaminants in breast milk. Unfortunately when they tested newborns blood at birth they were found to have already been contaminated with many of these same chemicals before ever being fed anything. That is surely one of the many reasons why children's cancer rates are increasing. Of course breast milk would be the ideal way to go for at least the first few months to assist in immune boasting your child but if I ever have any children I know I will formula feed them from day one to avoid the many carcinogenic chemicals I am sure are stockpiled in my body at my age.
i noticed that there's a posting here that trader joe's does not use can linings containing bisphenol-a. i'd just like to mention that their canned tomatoes DO contain bisphenol-a. trader joe's organic diced tomatoes are packed by muir glen, which does use epoxy linings in their can. unfortunately, TJ's has not been honest about this and for this reason i would recommend avoiding their canned foods. please read below:
when i wrote to ask trader joe's last year if any of their canned goods contained BPA, they wrote back as follows:
----
From: "Web Customer Relations"
Date: July 9, 2007 8:13:34 AM PDT
Subject: RE: Trader Joe's Product Information Form
Hello Sarah,
Trader Joe's uses food grade enamel to line our cans of tomatoes. We never use BPA in any of our cans.
Thank you for your inquiry and thank you for shopping at Trader Joe's.
Kellye
Trader Joe's
Customer Relations
----
so a few months later i bought a case of their canned tomatoes. i noticed that the cardboard box that the cans came in was labeled 'muir glen', and i had previously written to muir glen to ask if they used BPA in their linings, and they said they did. I also noticed a white plastic lining inside the tomato cans. So i wrote back to trader joe's to ask about this, including a specific, yes-or-no question [do your canned tomatoes contain BPA?]
here's the response i got:
----
Sarah,
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. Realistically,BPA is an industry-wide issue for manufacturers putting products in cans, certain types of plastic containers, and even products like Nalgene reusable drinking bottles.
If you are concerned about BPA it may be best to avoid canned food. The matter is the subject of much debate and there's yet to be definitive information from the discussions.
As the affected manufacturing industries respond to the developments, we'll have a better sense of what our next steps will be.
Sincerely,
Amy
Trader Joe's
Customer Relations
----
as you may notice, this did not answer the question.
so i wrote back one last time, explaining that i had a specific question about the canned tomatoes and wanted a yes-or-no answer; not a generic list of talking points.
i got the following response:
----
Sarah,
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. Realistically,
BPA is an industry-wide issue for manufacturers putting products in
cans, including our canned tomatoes, certain types of plastic
containers, and even products like Nalgene reusable drinking bottles.
If you are concerned about BPA it may be best to avoid canned food.
The matter is the subject of much debate and there's yet to be
definitive information from the discussions.
As the affected manufacturing industries respond to the developments,
we'll have a better sense of what our next steps will be.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
Trader Joe's
Customer Relations
----
i think it's pretty sleazy that they lied about this the first time i asked, and then refused to answer the question the second and third time. i'm not shopping there anymore; please write to them and tell them to be honest about what's in their food packaging.
I have a pantry full of canned food. Some I have canned myself some is in cans. I recently cleaned out a lot of the cans according to their best if used by date. Is there anyway that I can look on the cans to see if BPA applies to them specifically. Can I take the cans back to the store for my money back ( I have most of the receipts)? Another thing, I have found that some products don't have "pull dates" on them. How can I find these dates on products?
Thanks
Susie
How do we know what exactly is effected? For example are my Ginger Ale cans effected? What about my Miller Lite cans? If anyone knows where you can see more specifics that would be great to know!
The sad thing is maybe the workers who answer emails for Trader Joes' do not even know.
I was having some Muir Glen ketchup the other day & realized it was in a #7 bottle. That is getting tossed.
I will NEVER buy their products again. I called the 800 number on the bottle and the woman who answered misunderstood what i said & she told me to "check your local recycling program to see if you can recycle #7 bottles". When I reiterated & expained that BPA is a carcinogen that CAUSES CANCER. She seemed surprised & had never heard of it before. I told her to google it & please raise the issue.
Too bad people want to make a quick buck at the sacrifice of human health.
Well, it seems to be a little like the fall of Rome is upon us.
Why is everyone so surprised that when you mix a bunch of chemicals together, line your food containers with it and drink and eat from them for a lifetime, that something negative could happen to you?
Yes, another reason to eat locally, and stop buying canned food and start canning it yourself and stop using plastics etc... but realistically, that's not the kind of culture we have currently. I know I have a hard time eating locally and I'm surrounded by farms.
This BPA stuff is pretty prevalent and it would take a lot of people walking away from a LOT of things - namely convenience, to show the people making it that they must stop. (That's pretty much true of a lot of technologies that we have now). I'm willing to try and I'm glad to see people throwing away the ketchup and maple syrup #7 bottles and opting to go buy some tomatoes and make your own soup and can it or whatever.
good luck,
trish
Trader Joe's does have bpa line cans for all of its products except it's fish. I was very sorry to learn this and it was confirmed by Trader Joe's customer relations.
Trader Joe's does have bpa line cans for all of its products except it's fish. I was very sorry to learn this and it was confirmed by Trader Joe's customer relations.
Trader Joe's is NOT safe. Organic Grace has updated the description to say:
"Trader Joe's: Previously this company had claimed to be BPA free. Now they say
"200 times the government's traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals." There are no standards for BPA.
This statement doesn't make any sense; if there is no standard for BPA then how can concentrations exceed by 200 times?
It also doesnt make sense to compare it to traditional safe levels of exposure for industrial chemicals as there are an uncountable number of "industrial chemicals" with vastly different physiological effects!
My family are all in health and health-related research. Theres all sorts of bad substances out there, both organic and inorganic, natural and synthetic. There are very few cases where there is conclusive scientific evidence.
And BTW, when a study says "link" it does not mean "cause".
And also BTW, do you know many pathogens are probably on the fresh produce from the store? Do you know how much pesticides are used? And just cause it uses organic pesticide that doesn't necessarily make it better!
Don't worry about BPA, worry about those pesticides and pathogens!!!
Enjoy your food wherever it may come from! :) Its too short to worry so much about these little things!
This article is incomplete. The adverse health effects of Bisphenol A extend beyond women and children to the society at large. Men are at risk from Bisphenol A for developing Prostate Cancer and Testicular Cancer. All people are at risk for diabetes and obesity and. To call Estrogen, which is in all humans, a "gender bender" ( Lloyd Alter, Bisphenol A Your Tomatoe Juice) is misleading. Endocrine disruptions effect everyone not just infants, children and breast feeding mothers, everyone. If it is the objective of websites like this to disclose complete information then they should tone done the trendy archive photos and adverts a bit and give priority for space dedicated to the content of the articles.