A recent analysis of the believed hormone disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) in canned foods hopes to help inform consumers of which products contain the chemical.
A team of Environmental Working Group looked at over 250 brands of canned food between January and August of 2014, and found more than 110 brands still sold metal cans coated in an epoxy resin containing BPA.
The report names "Target's Market Pantry, Bush's, Carnation, Dinty Moore and Eagle Brand," as brands that are still using BPA, while brands such as "Amy's Kitchen, Annie's Homegrown, Sprouts Farmers Market "were found to be BPA-free.
"The biggest problem is that people have no reliable way of knowing whether they are buying food that is laced with this toxic chemical," said Samara Geller, EWG database analyst. "Federal regulations do not require manufacturers to label their products to identify cans with BPA-based linings. By releasing this analysis, we hope to arm people with the critical information they need to avoid BPA and make smarter shopping decisions."
The report relied on data from LabelINSIGHT®, a company that compiles data from U.S. supermarkets as well as available information on can lining practices found on company websites, social media pages, and directly from company representatives. In response to their findings, the EWG launched a consumer petition to urge the 78 brands that use BPA in all of their canned products to eliminate it from their packaging process.
"The marketplace changes that we are seeing are being driven largely by consumers who are speaking up and demanding cleaner products and better options," Geller said. "Some companies are entirely BPA-free, while others, like Eden Foods and Natural Value, are virtually BPA-free. We applaud these companies as well as retailers, such as Whole Foods Market, that are pushing the market towards non-BPA alternatives and phasing out BPA-coated products from store shelves."
BPA is a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to breast cancer, reproductive damage, heart disease, and other health consequences. Thirteen states have taken action to ban BPA in food containers and the chemical was added to California's Proposition 65 list of toxic chemicals only last month. There has been little action towards banning or regulating BPA on a Federal level, and the Food and Drug Administration still considers it to be safe.
"Many people on tight budgets or with little access to fresh food rely on canned food as a source of nutrients," said Renee Sharp, EWG's director of research. "That's why we need to get this right. We need a clear national standard that limits the use of BPA in canned food and improves transparency so that people can know when and if they are ingesting this harmful chemical."
