Toxin From Plastics Found in Food and Beverages

The Greatest Worries are Baby Bottles, Canned Soda and Soups

A push to ban the use of bisphenol A (BPA) is intensifying in response to the latest study. BPA is found predominately in plastics, including water and baby bottles, and in the lining of canned foods. The ongoing debate, fueled by denials from industry groups and supported by the FDA, reached a new level following publication of a National Toxicology Program report. The scientists concluded that there is some concern for neural and behavioral at current human exposures.

While the data isn’t definitive, I take the view that it would be prudent to reduce any possible risk of environmentally-induced cancer, particularly in our most vulnerable populations—pregnant women and fetuses, infants and children. Given that 93% of Americans were found to have BPA in their urine in 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), caution is warranted.

Renewed attention to risks from plastic baby bottles has been raised in response to new studies, indicating that BPA is released into the formula after its warmed. BPA is commonly found in canned baby formulas. If you use any canned foods or beverages, including soda, soups, vegetables and beans that contain a plastic resin lining, you may be getting more than you bargained for even if the foods are organic. Another common source of BPA comes from the ever-convenient, plastic water bottles; this chemical has been found to migrate, under some conditions, from polycarbonate (#7) plastic water bottles.

What’s a Concerned Parent to Do?

We can’t wait for the Food and Drug Administration to act on our behalf.  For now, the experts advise choosing glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids, whenever possible. For new parents, here’s another reason to commit to breastfeeding. It offers the best method of avoiding infant exposure to BPA, in addition to the myriad other health benefits; glass baby bottles should be used when one is needed. Using cardboard Textra boxes is a way to address the prepared soup dilemma.  The Green Guide, produced by National Geographic, offers a list of practical tips to follow in order to reduce exposure to BPA in cans and plastic bottles