BPA Blues

In Canada, a partnership of 11 environmental, public health, medical and child-care groups let the government know that in its view the ban on polycarbonate baby bottles wasn’t enough. The group, called Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health & Environment, released its First Steps in Lifelong Health: A Vision and Strategy for Children’s Health and Environment in Canada report in December. In it the group says the baby bottle ban “is too limited in scope. Since fetal exposure to BPA is likely of greatest concern, a more comprehensive approach is needed to control BPA in all food and drink containers, to reduce maternal exposure.” Researchers at the University of Guelph have also found that the chemical lingers longer in newborns and infants, and called on the feds to reduce BPA to zero “in sensitive populations,” and on pregnant women to reduce or eliminate exposure to the chemical. In addition it called on the industry to find a replacement for the chemical.

“I think [the industry] is looking into it, but the incentive to move is slower if the alternative is more expensive and requires a big switchover,” says Zweep. But there are some examples of alternatives out there already. A Food Navigator.com story, for instance, reports that in Japan manufacturers voluntarily reduced BPA in packaging between 1998 and 2003 and replaced it in food can liners. And Eden Foods, a Michigan-based food manufacturer, says its bean cans are all BPA-free.

“I hear that they’re trying to reformulate polycarbonate without BPA,” adds Zweep. “So [it means] either eliminating polycarbonate for food applications or coming up with a polycarbonate without BPA and eventually reformulating can liners. They’re definitely moving in that direction – how fast they’re going to go is another thing.”