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The Never-Ending BPA Controversy

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Last month, Canada banned Bisphenol-A from all food products. But the World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that this move may have been premature:

“Circulating levels of BPA in the human body were found to be very low, indicating that BPA is not accumulated in the body and is rapidly eliminated through urine”.

Bummer. Can’t scientists make up their mind?

What you need to know:

BPA is a chemical compound used as a building block of  polymers and polycarbonates that are found in plastic bottles and cans. 7 billion pounds of BPA are produced annually, for use in food packaging, PVC water pipes, electronics, and more. It behaves like the hormone estrogen once it enters the body and disturbs the normal working of certain genes. Estrogen mimicking chemicals like BPA are potentially harmful even at very low doses, such as those found in plastic bottles and cans.

92% of canned goods in the US are made with BPA.

The cost to switch from BPA lining to a safer one?

A mere 2.2 cents.

So why don’t manufacturers do it? Because the food industry is cut throat and works on low margins. Consumers vote with their pocketbooks, and every price reduction / increase immediately affects sales.

It seems that the controversy around BPA won’t end any time soon, so don’t hold your breath waiting for BPA regulations coming from the US government.

But some food companies, realizing they can gain a competitive advantage, or because of higher ideals of their owners, have begun offering us BPA free products (see below).

What to do at the supermarket:

There is no mandate for manufacturers to tell you if they have BPA in their packaging or not. It’s safe to assume that no labeling means YES WE USE BPA.

Here’s a list of 7 BPA free manufacturers (thanks Treehugger). As you can see, most are small players:

  • Eden Organic
  • Some of Trader Joe’s canned products
  • Vital Choice
  • Oregon’s Choice
  • Wild Planet
  • Eco Fish
  • Native Forest
  • Native Factor

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  • Mark Palmer

    You are correct in saying that food companies are “cut-throat,” however, they do not work on low margins. Margins in the food industry are generally very high. For example, the auto industry works with 5-10%, whereas food companies can have as high as 50% margins. The food business is a gold mine and some companies are not willing to take any reduction in margin for any reason unless they are forced to by competitive pressures. I have worked in both industries of know of what I speak.

  • sandy

    The retail food purveyors generally have very low profit margins, quite different than food wholesalers.

  • Katie

    So it can be flushed out in the urine? What about dialysis patients who are anuric? This is the population I work with. What are the risks for them if they don’t avoid it?

    • http://www.fooducate.com/blog Editorial Staff

      @Katie, not familiar enough with this to give you a good answer.

  • http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com/ parisbreakfast

    Great article!
    I just wish you showed the labels like Treehugger…
    Visual recognition is key to finding these BPA-free products for me when I’m shopping.
    It’a odd that Trader Joe is not playing up their BPA advantage..?
    Thanks again for everything you do.
    Carolg

  • Leah

    Thank you for covering this topic. I am very concerned about serving my family harmful chemicals and appreciate the work you do.

  • Kelly