How to Avoid BPA

by Naomi Shulman, Posted May 26th 2010 @ 3:00PM

Photo: Getty Images

Bisphenol-A (or BPA), a chemical present in certain plastics, is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to heart disease, cancer, and endocrine disorders, including diabetes and obesity. With all the scary news about bisphenol A in canned food that's coming out right now, we were left wondering, well, what IS safe to eat these days?

Experts have some general tips about how to ensure the safest, healthiest food supply for our families. According to the Environmental Working Group, it may not be possible to completely eliminate BPA from our lives, but we can take simple steps to minimize its presence.

First, and perhaps most obvious: Look for containers that claim to be BPA-free. The Soft Landing, a blog devoted to avoiding endocrine disruptors, listed several brands that use BPA-free cans for at least some of their products, including Eden Foods, Trader Joe's, and Native Forest.

Second, scout out frozen or dried alternatives. (Frozen vegetables are often healthier than canned anyway, and are just as convenient -- they just take up more freezer real estate.)

Third, choose glass containers over plastic or aluminum when possible. Glass storage mostly fell out of favor decades ago because it's heavy and breakable, but it's also BPA-free and chemically inert.

Finally, if you must use a product that was stored in a container with BPA, the Environmental Working Group suggests rinsing the food with water prior to heating and serving, which may reduce the amount of BPA that makes it into your body.

Filed Under: Health & Medical
Tags: bisphenol A, bpa, canned food, environmental working group, featured, plastic

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-26-2010 @6:13PM Jennifer said... Great suggestion in trying to seek out glass containers, but it's increasingly difficult. Helman's Mayo? Not any more, unless you get the tiny jars. Heinz Ketchup? Not so easy. I think tomatoes are most difficult of all. Either freeze them or can them yourself this summer, or canned really is your only choice. A few boxed from Italy, but if you take into account carbon footprint, then that rules those out as well. Tough issue. Thanks for covering it.
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5-27-2010 @9:55AM Peggy said... Frozen vegetables in what...plastic? Plastic-lined cardboard boxes? You're still getting more BPA than you think. Eat fresh, eat local, eat seasonally. By far worse than the occasional can is the constant intake of water and soda from plastic bottles. Don't overlook "surprise" sources of BPA either, like the cash register receipts you touch multiple times every day. A great source of education on BPA sources is "Slow Death by Rubber Duck" by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie.
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