ixnay on the BPA

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Following on the heels of last week's fantastic announcement legally designating the hormone-disrupting chemical BPA as "toxic" in Canada, more good news today.  It seems that many canned good companies are -- even in advance of government regulation -- moving to get BPA out of their products.  This is a huge deal, given that the most significant current exposure of Canadians to this chemical is from the canned food in their cupboards.  Dollops of BPA are used in the making of the can linings.  The chemical then oozes into the food and we eat ingest it in our soups, chick peas and spaghetti sauce.  No wonder that over 90% of Canadians have measurable levels of BPA in their bodies.

So good on companies like Heinz and Hain Celestial for responding to their customers' concerns by using BPA-free linings in some of their cans and setting timelines for eliminating the chemical altogether.  And shame on those laggards like Coca-Cola and Delmonte for continuing to dish out helpings of delicious hormone-disrupting chemical with every pop and fruit cocktail serving.

Consumers are demanding an end to BPA in food and beverage containers.  The smart companies are getting ahead of the curve.

Rick Smith