Well, let me explain what BPA's are and why we should stay away from them. BPA stands for Bisphenaol A and has gotten the most news exposure from plastic bottles, baby bottles and plastic food storage containers. So like most people, you probably thought if you were changing what kind of bottles and food containers you were using, you probably thought you were safe. Surprise! You're not. EWG has a study explaining that "in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda and other commonly eaten canned goods, it was found to have toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects of the reproductive system." Wait, what?! Seriously?! Okay, sorry to sound surprised, again. But I am! The reason BPA is even used in cans is it helps prevent contamination and extends the shelf-life of foods". So basically, what I'm hearing is my canned foods will last long, but not me? Hmm...
I've been eating a lot of soups lately, thinking I'm eating healthier. It's low calorie. Full of vegetables. Full of toxic chemicals? It's just too much! EWG also goes on to say, "BPA is associated with a number of health problems and diseases that are on the rise on the US population, including breast and prostate cancer and infertility." And guess what? Haven't we all seen a rise in these things? So it's not just a coincidence. But yet, is any organization doing anything to stop this? Not that I know of.
So, who are the worst culprits you ask? Well maybe you didn't, but I'm going to tell you any way. Because that's the kind of gal I am. Americanfreepress.com writes, "In general, canned green beans and canned soups had some of the highest BPA levels of the foods tested. The worst offenders during their tests included: Del Monte fresh cut green beans, which had BPA levels ranging from 35.9 ppb to as much as 191 ppb; Progresso vegetable soup had BPA levels ranging from 67 to 134 ppb; Campbell’s condensed chicken noodle soup, which had BPA levels ranging from 54.5 to 102 ppb." Now, what do those numbers mean you ask? Well, I'm not serving my son Cambell's soup any more, that's for sure!
The FDA says that below 50 ug/kg day is safe. And a ppb means part per billion. So huh? Well I found on environmentoregon.com an article that tried to explain it, and well, it was still pretty confusing. So truthfully, it sounds like the BPA people are saying it's safe. And well, they stand to lose a lot of money if people stop using things with their product in it. And well, everyone who is into health is saying it's not safe.
So what's a person to do? One thing is to avoid canned goods altogether. That might be a bit drastic though. Because even when I'm cooking from scratch, some recipes still call for things like canned tomatoes. So, the other alternative is to look for non-BPA cans. Brands like Eden Foods and Trader Joe cans are non-BPA. Yay for Trader Joe's. Gotta love them! You can also try to find bottles instead of cans. Which is kind of ironic, since the whole BPA thing started with us being afraid of bottles, but whatever! If those are safer now, then so be it.
So, there you have it. BPA in canned goods. It's scary. But it's time we know.
It's outrageous that the FDA allows the use of this dangerous endocrine disruptor which causes breast cancer and prostate cancer.
ReplyDeleteI recently read something very disturbing- that even canned goods labeled "BPA-free" most likely still have BPA in them! That was enough to motivate me to get off of canned goods once and for all. It really wasn't that hard to do.
I'll continue to try and limit my family's exposure to BPA as much as possible, but it is difficult since it is in so many things. We need an outright ban of this stuff like they have in Europe.
Great post, Denise! Such an important issue.
OMG... just when you think you've got it down something else turns out to be bad for you! My daughter the research expert has been telling me canned food was bad for you and now I see she is right as always! thanks for sharing this important message.
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