Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that is used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It is ubiquitous in the environment, found in common, everyday products. BPA is used in food and beverage containers and packaging, and the chemical leaches into the products. That means your canned beans, peas, soups, and chili have likely been exposed to BPA, as well as milk cartons and foods in plastic containers. It’s been estimated that 90 percent of people in the United States have detectable levels of BPA toxin in their bodies.

A recent study now shows that male mice who were exposed as babies to BPA act more like females and are seen as less desirable mates.

Study lead author Cheryl Rosenfeld at the University of Missouri said, “The BPA-exposed deer mice in our study look normal; there is nothing obviously wrong with them. Yet, they are clearly different.” Read more

I recently wrote to the Customer Service section of Vital Choice to get their response to a question on whether their canned seafood contained BPA as most of the public concerns over BPA arise from its use as a liner in food cans as well as in plastics and other containers as well as paper products. Vital Choice is a provider of seafood and other foods. We eat their products at home and order them over the Internet. Its a great Company and we wanted to make sure that we were getting the highest quality foods with minimal risk of BPA exposure. Their response indicated that they were unique in certifying their cans BPA Free but that their had been some detection of BPA in their canned seafood found by the Consumers Union.

Vital Choice is one of a limited amount of companies that certify their cans BPA free so overall I think they are pretty good choice, especially considering they are trying to lead the market in being BPA free. Here is their reply:

“Hello Craig,

Thank you for choosing Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics. The Tuna, Salmon, and Sardine cans are all made of steel, not glass. Vital Choice uses only cans, can lids, and other packaging from suppliers who certify that the linings, lids, and packaging are made without BPA.

Among sellers of canned fish, this policy appears to be unique to Vital Choice. Our canned salmon shows no traces of BPA, nor do our sardines or mackerel. However, Consumers Union detected minuscule traces of BPA in our canned and in all the canned tunas and other canned foods they tested.

We are still trying to determine the source of the BPA Consumers Union detected in our canned tuna with olive oil only. Tests from independent labs show that the levels found are very low: about 12 parts per billion. We continue to search for the causes.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance

http://www.vitalchoice.com

Editors note:

See also: BPA Linked to High Grade PIN and Prostate Cancer in Rats

Scientists have known for about 80 years that BPA acts like a synthetic estrogen, but that has not stopped the food industry from using this endocrine disruptor in the lining of food cans. An endocrine disruptor is a substance, like BPA, that can disrupt how hormones transport messages in the body. Because it takes very few hormone molecules to carry messages, endocrine disruptors can cause chaos at very low concentrations, even as low as a few parts per trillion of BPA.

A recent study called “No Silver Lining” has brought the health dangers of BPA in canned foods to the public’s attention. The study, which was conducted by the National Workgroup for Safe Markets, tested 50 brand-name canned foods, including fruits, vegetables, soups, fish, and soft drinks, from 19 cities in the United States and from Ontario, Canada. For each canned food, the researchers selected one from a store and one from a person’s pantry in the same city.

The investigators found BPA in the food in 92 percent of the cans tested. In some cans, the BPA was identified at levels higher than what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows.

Prior to the “No Silver Lining” report, hundreds of other studies found that exposing animals to low doses of BPA is linked to cancer and a host of other serious illnesses. According to Bobbi Chase Wilding, a co-author of the report and the organizing director of Clean New York, “it takes as little as one serving of canned foods to expose a person to levels of BPA that have been shown to cause harm in laboratory animals.”

If you consider the cumulative effect of eating BPA-contaminated food several times a day, perhaps day after day, people may be exposing themselves and their family to dangerous levels of this hormone-disrupting chemical. BPA exposure is especially worrisome for pregnant women, babies, and young children. In fact, the Environmental Working Group conducted a study in which it found BPA in the cord blood of newborns.

“No Silver Lining” reports that the cost of the canned food did not have an impact on whether BPA was detected, nor where it was purchased or the relative nutritional value of the food. BPA levels also varied dramatically, even between cans of the same product. For example, one can of Del Monte French Style Green Beans had 36 micrograms of BPA per serving, and another can of the same product had 138 micrograms per serving, which is a level that has been associated with changes in prostate cells in animals. The National Toxicology Program has stated it has “some concern” that BPA modifies the prostate gland in children before and after birth.

As a consumer you have several choices: you can choose fresh or frozen foods, or select foods that come in glass containers or aseptic packaging (e.g., Tetra Pak). Several manufacturers of canned foods, including Muir Glenn Eden, have decided to stop using BPA. Others will likely follow suit, but for now the majority still use the toxin. Also, avoid storing or reheating food in plastic containers with the number ’3′ or ’7′ in the recycling triangle.

Avoiding BPA in your food is an important way to protect your prostate health and your overall health as well. Other products that may expose you and your family to BPA include water bottles (choose stainless instead), dental sealants, thermal receipt paper, printer toner, DVDs and now, paper receipts.

Here are some of the findings from “No Silver Linings.”

Foods with the Highest Levels of BPA

(ppb = parts per billion)

• DelMonte French Style Green Beans: 296.2 ppb (store) and 1,140 ppb (pantry);
• Great Value (Walmart’s in-store brand) Sweet Peas: 329.3 ppb (store)
• Healthy Choice Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup: 323.6 ppb (pantry)
• Healthy Choice Old Fashioned Chicken with Rice Soup: 172.4 ppb (store)
• Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup: 130.4 ppb (pantry)
• Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup: 120.7 ppb (pantry) and 127.6 ppb (store)
• Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom, 25% less sodium: 92.6 ppb (store)
• Goya Coconut Milk, 82.2 ppb (pantry) and 77.6 ppb (store)
• Goya Pink Beans: 80.3 ppb (store) and 76.5 ppb (pantry)
• Organic Light Coconut Milk: 74.6 ppb (store)

Foods with the Lowest Levels of BPA

(ND = none detected)

• Coca-Cola, diet, caffeine-free: ND (store) and 0.4 ppb (pantry)
• Coca-Cola, diet: ND (pantry) and 0.7 ppb (store)
• Coca-Cola Classic: 0.2 ppb (store) and 0.4 ppb (pantry)
• DelMonte Yellow Freestone Peaches in Light Syrup: 1.2 ppb (pantry)
• Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes: 1.9 ppb (pantry)

See also

BPA Linked to High Grade PIN and Prostate Cancer in Rats

The Real Truth Behind Bisphenol A (BPA)

References:

Environmental Working Group. Human Toxome Project. www.ewg.org/sites/

humantoxome/participants/participant-group.php?group=

In+Utero/newborn

National Workgroup for Safe Markets. No Silver Linings: An Investigation into Bisphenol A in Canned Foods, 2010.

The New Environmental Cancer Risk Report

The Panel’s report noted that approximately 80,000 chemicals are on the market in the United States, and many of them, which are used by millions of Americans every day, are poorly studied, have not been studied at all, or are unregulated. Such overall lack of responsible oversight and understanding of these chemicals means that “exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread,” according to the Panel.

The Panel experts point out that children are at great risk for cancer due to environmental toxins and need to be protected. That protection should include stronger regulations for environmental contaminants and the use of safer alternatives to the currently used chemicals.

What You Can Do Now To Reduce Cancer Risk

Although eliminating cancer risk is far from simple, the Panel notes there are many things Americans can do right now every day to reduce their exposure to cancer-causing environmental substances. Adopting these preventive measures can help protect you and your family against the dangers of environmental carcinogens.

Choose organic foods as much as possible, which will significantly reduce your exposure to pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones (the latter two contaminants are found primarily in conventionally raised meat and dairy foods).

Avoid or minimize consumption of charred, processed, and well-done meats to limit your exposure to the cancer-causing substances heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Buy products that are free of the endocrine-disruptor BPA. BPA exposure can come from canned foods, plastic water bottles, and plastic containers for foods. Instead, choose foods stored in glass or tetra packaging and use glass, stainless steel, or BPA-free containers.

Stay away from products that may contain phthalates, an endocrine-disruptor that belongs to a class of chemicals used as softeners in polyvinyl chloride products. Such items include children’s toys, cling wrap, plastic food storage containers, shower curtains, building materials, vinyl flooring, and some personal care products such as shampoos, lotions, and cosmetics.

Do not microwave food or beverages in plastic because chemicals can leach into the food when heated.

Remove your shoes when entering your house, especially if you work with or around chemicals.

Use nontoxic products to keep pests out of your garden, such as beneficial insects and diatomaceous earth.

Use filtered tap water rather than commercially bottled water.

Properly dispose of medications, paints, solvents, and household chemicals to minimize contamination of drinking water and the soil.

Check your home periodically for radon exposure. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer.

Avoid use of the antibacterial agent called triclosan, an endocrine disruptor, which is used in products such as soaps, deodorants, and cleaning products.

Turn off lights and electrical devices when they are not in use.

Do not smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke. Especially do not expose children to smoke.

Protect yourself against ultraviolet radiation by using sunscreen and wearing clothing that protects you against the sun.

Question the necessity of undergoing any test or procedure that involves exposure to radiation, such as mammograms, CT scans, and radiation therapy. Keep records of any imaging tests you receive and, if possible, the radiation dose for each test.

Reduce electromagnetic energy exposure from cell phones, text rather than call when possible, keep calls brief, and use a headset.

Walk, bike, take public transportation, and/or drive a fuel-efficient car when possible to help reduce the amount of toxins emitted into the environment.

Women and men considering pregnancy should avoid exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and known or suspected carcinogens before conception, throughout pregnancy, and early life, when the risk of damage is greatest.

Specific Environmental Carcinogens

Specific potential and known cancer-causing contaminants named in the Panel’s report, and a few common places they are found, include:

Aromatic amines (e.g., benzidine; in pesticides, rubber production)

Asbestos (old ceiling tiles, building materials)

Arsenic (pesticides, wood preservatives)

Benzene (exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, glues)

Beryllium (medical devices, combustion of coal and fuel oil)

Butadiene (in production of tires, adhesives, paints, footwear)

Cadmium (plastics, fertilizers)

Chromium (dyes, wood preserving, steel production)

Ethylene oxide (disinfectant, pesticides)

Formaldehyde (particle board, carpets, drapes)

Hair dyes

Lead (batteries, ceramics)

Mercury (dental fillings, batteries)

Methylene chloride (pesticides, solvents)

Nickel (nickel plating, batteries)

Polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs; banned in 1979 but still in the environment)

Silica (sandblasting, foundries)

Styrene (food containers)

Sulfuric acid (cleaning fluid)

Talc (pottery, paper, paint, cosmetics)

Toluene (gasoline, solvents)

Trichloroethylene (TCE; degreaser)

Wood dust (carpentry, furniture making)

Xylene (gasoline, paint, thinners)