If you have given up using plastic food storage containers to avoid BPA you should check out this abstract. A non-profit group had 19 different canned foods tested for BPA and all came back positive with the highest levels in green beans and soups. Sounds to me like yet another reason to avoid canned foods when possible. While I can’t live without canned tomatoes, I do think I can give up almost everything else that comes in a can.
If the FDA has set a “cumulative exposure daily intake”, since we all know how slowly they act, that says to me I don’t want any exposure. The fact that I found the most troubling about this article was that two products that were advertised as packed in “BPA-free cans” came back with BPA. One of those foods was Eden brand Baked Beans. Argggh!
I don’t know about any of you, but I am going to be more diligent to avoid canned foods going forward when possible.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I use a lot of canned tomatoes, but I home-canned the ones I grew in my garden for just this reason. They've been talking about BPA in can linings and plastic for quite some time now. Last year I got rid of all the plastic containers and switched over to glass, as well as throwing out the few plastic cups we still had.
ReplyDeleteBut I did like using canned beans when in a pinch. That may have to change now too. It's always something isn't it?
Janet,
ReplyDeleteI also canned some tomatoes this summer, but no where nearly enough to get me through until next summer. There are so many things to worry about it seems to never stop. I also got rid all our plastic and switched to glass a couple of years ago. Canned tomatoes are my only "BPA" vice left. I was hoping to keep my Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes (I love those). However it isn't looking good. I guess we both know what I will be doing with my summer next year. As an Italian I go through a ridiculous amount of canned tomatoes each year.
We gave up canned beans a year or so ago too. I make two pounds of beans at a time (the crockpot is great for this) and freeze the beans in 2 cups measures until I need them. It is a pain but at least it is BPA free. Uggh!
Sometimes I think I need to stop researching this stuff since in only results in more work. Oh well, it is all for a good cause.
talk to you soon,
Alicia
i was just reading about this last night, and trying not to obsess over it....then i check your blog....thanks a lot!!haha i did read that more acidic things(sorry about this) like tomatoes, leach more bpa"s from the cans.i wonder if the longer they are on your shelf the worse it gets?
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteI have read the same thing about acidic food being a bigger problem. I was trying to save my beloved fire roasted tomatoes. Oh well, I guess now I will be buying the Italian tomatoes in the boxes (like soymilk). Unless I find out those aren't safe either. I still need to do some research on that type of packaging. It always seems like there as so many problems and so little time.
And ... I would guess you are right that the longer the acidic food is in contact with the can the higher the BPA, but that is just conjecture on my part. Sighhhhh. It is just so depressing, the thought of having to give up my fire roasted tomatoes. I love those things!
Alicia
It's annoying that our food supply is so over-exposed to chemicals. I know some of the canned products I get say they do not use it to line the cans (they're organic canned), but I was reading the abstract saying that even products labeled as such could still have it. I can't wait to live somewhere where I can have my own garden!
ReplyDeleteVeganPossum,
ReplyDeleteI agree that we as a country are exposed to far too many chemicals each day. It really makes me angry that organic products labeled as in BPA free cans have BPA. It tends me make me think you can't believe anything, and I don't want to be that way.
Alicia
Are these all cans or just the cans with the white lining inside?
ReplyDeleteRose,
ReplyDeleteAccording to the abstract BPA shows up in the food in both types of cans (plain and epoxy lined) and also was in other types of packaging. Great huh? Back to the concept of eat it the way it grows.
Alicia
November 3, 2009 9:15 PM
This is discouraging; I always have a stockpile of organic canned tomatoes. I thought as long as I avoided the epoxy lined ones I was ok.
ReplyDeleteI'm so discouraged with the whole thing...I just want to homestead and become entirely self-sufficient.
Rose,
ReplyDeleteI agree, I was not happy about this either. Since I canned tomatoes this year I have a couple of months worth in glass but after that I am out. I am going to research the Pomi boxed tomatoes to see if they are any safer. If I find out they are I will definitely let everyone know.
Even this city girl is ready to homestead. Now you know it is bad. Unlike you I would have tons to learn to be self sufficient. We can't live on herbs alone and that is all I can grow.
Alicia
Ahh, I forgot about the carton packaged ones...there's always hope. But really, it is my dream to become as self-sufficient as possible one day. I am thankful for the people who do these investigations and for you who helps disseminate the info...I'm too overwhelmed with everyday stuff to find all this out on my own
ReplyDeleteThank you so much; you really are doing a public service.
Rose,
ReplyDeleteI understand the desire to become self sufficient, I am starting to agree with you.
Hopefully the boxed tomatoes will be BPA free. After canning tomatoes this year for the first time I can tell you the thought of canning enough tomatoes to last us 9 months when it isn't tomato season is not a pleasant thought to me.
I am happy others find the information I post useful. That was the biggest reason I started blogging. I thought I should share my research to make it easier for others. It seems to me that life is always easier when you share. :)
Alicia
yea i was gonna just keep my mouth shut.what do you know about parabens? and do you avoid them?
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteAnother great question on a topic I find very useful. :)
Yes I try my best to reduce our exposure to parabens (which isn't that easy). They are preservatives that are most often found in blush, mascara, lipstick, hair dye, powder, foundation, concealer, moisturizers, shampoo, sunscreen and self tanners, to name a few. They are thought to cause breast cancer and birth abnormalities because they are endocrine disruptors like BPA.
Look for natural products that use vitamin E as a preservative. Or .... go to the Environmental Working Groups website (ewg.org) and search their cosmetic database. I find that to be very useful. I will warn you, once in the website you can lose hours of time (at least that is what happened to me).
I have mostly eliminated parabens at our house, but it wasn't easy. I now use olive oil to moisturize after my shower. I only wear a little makeup once or twice a week and wash it off the minute I get home. We use Dr. Bronners liquid soap in the shower. If you think I need to write an entire post on this topic please let me know. It may take me a few days to source everything but I don't mind doing it.
talk to you soon,
Alicia
Alicia, you are right, every time you learn something new it results in more work! And once you learn something, you can't unlearn it, so if you don't apply it the guilt and worry set in. I wish they would stop adding chemicals to everything in our environment.
ReplyDeleteJanet,
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. Once I know something it is too late to ignore it. However, with new information coming out everyday I could drive myself crazy trying to implement it all perfectly. Now I try to do the best I can recognizing I am not perfect, but better than most.
The thing I find most disturbing is that most of America doesn't see any of this as a problem. I don't understand how they can ignore it. Chemicals aren't meant to be ingested. What is so hard about understanding that reasonably simple idea? Maybe in our lifetime enough people with make noise, and spend their money accordingly, that things will change. I can only hope. Until then I will continue to do what I can for my family.
talk to you later,
Alicia
Thanks for the article.Your article was pretty informative and i hope that in future also i get these kind of article.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Portable Storage,
www.moveablecubicle.com
This issue with BPA in canned foods concerns me too, and I've been trying to find alternatives to canned food. I think aseptic packaging has an inner layer of polyethylene, at least according to this (page 263):
ReplyDeletehttp://books.google.com/books?id=NFRR6GayR74C&printsec=frontcover&dq=food+packaging#v=onepage&q=&f=false
I can buy passata (similar to "tomato sauce" in the US) in glass jars, though it's not quite the same as tinned tomatoes as it has no chunks! Fine for some recipes, though. It's possible to find beans in glass jars, though they're not easy to find and always more expensive. I usually just cook my own from dry in my Stanley thermos. Strangely, continental Europe has a lot more products packaged in glass jars than we do here in the UK.
Felicity,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the link on the aseptic packaging. I had not started to research that yet so I appreciate the head start.
I have not seen any plain tomato products in glass jars sold in the US. They sell pasta sauce in jars, but not plain tomato products. I have never seen beans in jars here either. I cook my own beans from dried, but I haven't always.
Isn't that odd that continental Europe has more bottled products than the UK. Makes you wonder why that is.
thanks again for the link to packaging,
Alicia
hey thanks that was helpful. i wonder if my st ives has parabens...i will check tonight.you use dr bronners soap in the shower? i think i have some of that. the magic soap? i think the company is in escondido i would drive past them everyday for school. they just had this weird sign out front about magic soap....my mom got it for me and i finally made the connection...ramble ramble. is there diferent types? i just bought canola oil like i had been wanting too and i like it so much better than veg oil.i might even like it more than olive.....i made vegan eggrolls for walters bday using it, they didnt turn outthat great but one or two were edible. i dont eat to much fried stuf but i thought the cnola oil was good. im glad that you wrote about the omega thrree ratio thing. that impressed me. i hope my tanning solution does not have parabens. i can always look for paraben free solution the next time i buy. since i was thinking of starting a spray tan business (lol a business of one..me) its even more important, i want to give a HEALTHY alternative to suntanning and tanning beds...not something just as bad!!!!
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteThe Dr.Bronners I use is plain castille soap. I like that it does not have any additives. However, it does leave a nasty soap scum on the shower tile.
Make certain your canola is organic and cold or expeller pressed so it hasn't begun to deteriorate. The nice thing about canola is that it is neutral so you can use it in more places than olive oil.
Fried food is something that doesn't have the same appeal to me any longer. It has been so long since I have had it I don't know that I would enjoy it anymore. I do still remember how to deep fry though. If you want to do that again for Walter let me know if you need any pointers I am happy to help.
One of my friend mentioned a self tanner called "Fake Bake". That may be paraben free so you might want to check the ingredients and see. If I hear of a self tanner that is I will definitely let you know.
talk to you soon,
Alicia