Last week, in a reversal of its 2008 declaration that Bisphenol A (BPA) was safe, the FDA expressed "some concern" about this chemical found in plastic bottles and metal cans. Noting "the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children," the FDA says it will conduct more in-depth studies. For now, though, BPA remains legal and unregulated. Here are some ways you can reduce your exposure.
• Avoid polycarbonate plastic bottles and containers. These are usually hard, clear, and marked with number 7 or the letters "PC." Use unlined glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers, instead. If using plastic, look for soft, cloudy plastic and the numbers 1, 2, and 4, which do not contain BPA.
• Don't mix heat and plastic. BPA may be released at high temperatures, so do not microwave or put hot foods or liquids in BPA containers.
• Discard scratched plastic bottles and containers. BPA can leak from the scratches.
• Avoid (or eat fewer) canned foods and drinks. BPA is used in the linings of canned foods, and highly acidic foods like tomatoes may leach more BPA. Choose foods that are fresh, frozen, or packaged in glass or cardboard containers, instead. Some home canning lids also contain BPA, but you should be able to avoid contamination if there's enough head space between the contents and the lid.
Many of these tips were culled from the Environmental Working Group. For their full guide, see Tips to Avoid BPA Exposure.
For the FDA report, see Update on Bisphenol A for Use in Food Contact Applications: January 2010.
Related: Food News: The Latest on BPA
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my mom had called me worried that with all the canned tomatoes i use (at least one meal a week when they're out of season), i should be buying them in some other packaging. however, i haven't seen anything in cardboard that looks as wonderfully delicious as the canned san marzano, and fire-roasted, and chef's cut with basil... any recommendations?
NO CANNED TOMATOES!!!! omg
I use canned beans ALL the time... I'm so sad :(
Get the Pomi chopped or crushed tomatoes in the red-and-white box. Nothin' in there but tomatoes! You'll have to season them according to your recipe ... but that's a good thing!
I've heard that Trader Joe's sells tomatoes in tetra pak? We don't have TJ's here, so I'm not sure. Unfortunately, tetra paks aren't as recyclable as aluminum cans, and they contain plastic as well. (My city just recently started accepting them in the recycling bins.)
I haven't seen tomatoes at TJ's in tetra pak.. alas.. but now I'm going to keep an eye out. :)
I've mostly been looking for tomatoes in glass. This mission is as yet unsuccessful; however I did manage to find some glass-jarred Italian tomato paste at Whole Foods the other day. As we get more concerned about BPA I'm hoping to see more companies start to offer glass. Tomatoes are really the biggest thing for me, too.
For tomato paste, what about Amore brand, which comes in a tube? An added plus, you can use a tablespoon, screw the cap back on (like old toothpaste tubes), and keep it in the fridge until you need it again.
tetra pak is a laminated, multi-ply box. I'm under the impression that tetra-paks are plastic lined and could be just as dangerous as unlined cans, if not more so. Most metal cans are lined to prevent the acids from reacting with the metal and prolong shelf stability. IF you open the can and transfer all the contents into a glass container, you lessen the leaching and air exposure to the metal. I won't buy tetra-pak products but i will buy canned fruit or tuna.
guess i'm glad that i canned a 12 quarts of tomatoes in glass jars myself this past summer :)
Eden Foods' products are in BPA free-cans.
http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/view.php?articles_id=178
Only their beans are in BPA free-cans. Also, since there are only a limited amount of can manufacturers out there there's no guarantee that anyone's cans are BPA free as I think Muir Glen or someone else found out.
Home canners aren't in the clear, as the lids have BPA in them.
http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/faq/42.php
@dzaks, hence the statement above "Some home canning lids also contain BPA, but you should be able to avoid contamination if there's enough head space between the contents and the lid."
And if you're not leaving headroom, you've got bigger problems than a possibly-harmful chemical.
I always get the eden canned beans. I've just about given up on canned tomatoes, though. I don't trust tetra paks, either. I stumbled on this article a couple of months ago:
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/the-7-foods-experts-wont-eat-547963/
and was pretty surprised that I was aware of all of those things EXCEPT the tomato thing. Although, then again, who are these "people at the forefront of food safety" that they talk to anyway?
In any case, I'm really happy that the FDA is looking into BPA....
Thanks for the link about the home canning. I'm really interested in the all glass jars that were mentioned: http://www.weckcanning.com/ Plus they've got a really nice shape!
Eden Foods? Their sodium levels are also really really low. I think I am going to buy stock in their company, seriously. I love them.
I've been canned-food-free for 2 years, ever since meeting the scientist who uncovered the BPA problems. Difficult transition, I use a pressure cooker to make beans convenient, and jars of sun-dried tomatoes. I sometimes buy jars of tomato sauce, but there is no guarantee that the sauce was not made from canned tomatoes.