By now, media reports and scientific studies have all raised awareness about the hazards ofBisphenol A, or BPA in plastics. BPA is a chemical which makes plastics clear and tough, but in the human body, it acts like estrogen and has been linked to certain cancers and birth defects in lab rats.
Plastic bottles and containers are now advertised as being BPA free, so one would think that BPA has been eradicated from popular use. That’s simply not the case. In fact, many canned products in the US (including popular soda brands) contain BPA. Canning companies line their aluminum with BPA to prevent corrosion. Canned vegetables have the highest instances of BPA in product tests, so use fresh vegetables or the frozen variety. Soups are now starting to come in cardboard containers, but check with your municipality to make sure they recycle tetra pak containers. Click here for a listing of companies that avoid BPA in their canned products.