Bisphenol A (or BPA) is a chemical compound used in the composition of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. The Ecology Center has been following the topic of BPA and its health effects on humans (in our Summer 2007 issue of Terrain Magazine, we covered some of the health concerns of BPA in canned foods. According to the Environmental Working Group, even low levels of exposure to BPA pose health risks, particularly to fetuses and infants.
Many aluminum cans are lined with a BPA-containing coating, which gives the container its durability and chemical resistance, and the cans used by Coca-Cola are no exception. Despite Coca-Cola’s announcement in 2010 that they were “going green,” in late April the company’s shareholders voted 3 to 1 to continue using BPA in the lining of their cans. Click here to read more.
In the meantime, what can we do to reduce our exposure to BPA? The Silent Spring Institute and the Breast Cancer Fund teamed up with some other researchers to test the effect of consuming fresh, organic foods not packaged in plastics or cans on reducing BPA levels in the body. In just three days, BPA levels went down by 60%. Click here for more tips provided by the Environmental Working Group.
[Photo by Allen Cheng]
