BPA-Free Canned Goods...How to Pick Them

Bisphenol-A is not only making a splash with environmentalists; politicians and consumers are becoming informed and savvy about it's dramatic effects on human health. BPA, as it is also called, is found in food and beverage containers including canned food, aluminum beverage containers, baby bottles and sippy cups. It is used pervasively for food storage and was approved by the FDA in the 1960's. In the last decade, the CDC has conducted a large scale study to determine the level of human exposure to 212 chemicals used in consumer products. They found detectable levels of BPA exposure in 93% of the humans tested which numbered in the thousands. The US Environmental Protection Agency has set a safe level of exposure at 50 micrograms/kg body wt/day, yet animal lab tests have shown altered hormone effects at much lower levels than this. Read this archived blog to take steps to limit BPA in your consumer products.

More recently, manufacturers are taking responsibility for pursuing BPA-free alternatives in response to the demands of increasingly educated consumers. Some companies have worked toward this goal previous to the larger public outcry. In either case, we feel it is important to let you know how to protect you and your loved ones from this questionably harmful chemical. The following list highlights the companies and products that use BPA-free food containers and how you can go about finding these products for daily use.

1. Eden Organics - except canned tomatoes
   - can be found at large retailers
2. Vital Choice - no exceptions
   - can only be found on-line, http://www.vitalchoice.com/
3. Wild Planet - except shrimp and crab which have lemon added
   - some products can be found at large retailers and on-line - http://www.wildplanetfoods.com/
4. Trader Joe's - only canned corn, beans, fish, poultry and beef have BPA-free liners
   - only at Trader Joe stores
5. Native Forest and Native Factor - no exceptions
   - can be found at large retailers