The nation’s largest supermarket, Kroger, (2nd to Walmart) has decided to stop using the chemical lining BPA in its own brand cans. Also, Kroger is going to stop using register receipts that have BPA on them. Whenever a large corporation like Kroger makes an eco-friendly move like this, I feel optimistic because it affects the health of so many people. On the other hand, Coca Cola shareholders recently voted NOT to removed BPA from its cans.
BPA, or bisphenol A, is used in hard plastics and in the linings of food and beverage cans. It is also found in 40% of all store receipts. It is an estrogen mimic and is suspected in fetal development issues, obesity, hyperactivity, heart disease, and cancer. Even plastics that are labelled BPA free have been found to release BPA-like chemicals.
Kudos to Kroger for providing a healthier option for customers. It is really difficult to avoid all canned products. Almost all canned food, even organic brands, use cans lined with BPA. Eden Foods is one of the only companies that uses a plant based can liner.
Reduce your exposure to BPA by:
- Reduce the amount of canned foods that you consume. Acid foods like tomatoes and tomato products leach more BPA from the lining of the can. I have noticed that most salsa is in glass container but plastic bottles are beginning to show up. Fatty and salty foods should also be in glass containers.
- Choose glass or cardboard containers. I am always tapping bottles with my fingernails to find the glass ones. Cardboard containers that are a mixture of aluminum and polyethylene (#2) are safer than cans.
- Do not microwave in plastic containers. Many microwaveable containers are polycarbonate (#7), which may break down and release BPA at high temperatures.
- Do not use old plastic containers that are scratched or bent.
- Handle receipts as little as possible. Click here to read my earlier posting about BPA on receipts.
- Avoid #7 plastics that might come into contact with food.
- Use a stainless steel reusable water bottle that is BPA free.
- Download this list of 10 canned foods to avoid.
3 comments:
It is really good to know that companies like Kroger are making use of eco-friendly products for their customers. It is very essential for all the companies to take a step forward and promote the use of recyclable and nature friendly products for a healthy and greener future.
Well that is encouraging news. To be honest it doesn't really make me feel a whole lot better about eating their canned food because who knows what other chemicals are in those can liners. But it does at least show that when enough people get motivated to complain about something, the corporations will actually change.
I agree with you ECL. I'm not into a lot of canned foods but at least Kroger is willing to make their canned foods safer. Plus it is great for their clerks that Kroger is no longer using receipts with BPA.
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