BPA

February 8, 2010

Yeah, I was just reading about this recently as well .. and even Amy's and Muir

Glen aren't totally safe ... what the heck are we supposed to do???? Why in the

hell are organic food companies using BPA in their cans? It's so frustrating to

not be able to trust anything.

xxoo

>

> I just found this article at

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=1356906

>

> The Food and Drug Administration has said for the first time it has " some

concern about the potential effects of BPA [bisphenol A] on the brain, behavior

and prostate gland, " particularly on fetuses, infants and children, though it's

stopped short of taking regulatory action. The FDA was expected to announce a

decision about BPA's safety before the end of 2009, but it missed the deadline.

>

> BPA is a hormone-mimicking chemical present in more than 90 percent of

Americans and often used in the linings of cans and No. 7 plastics. In a recent

news conference, the FDA announced it is continuing to research the chemical

with targeted studies.

>

> The Washington Post quoted one anonymous Obama administration official

involved in talks between the White House and FDA as saying, " They have new

evidence that makes them worried, but they don't have enough proof to justify

pulling the stuff, so what do you do? You warn the people, but you don't want to

create panic. "

>

February 8, 2010

I have one of the Hulda books that describes an electronic device that you

can build so you can test the products you buy for the bad stuff. The book is

called the cure for all diseases. I will be building one of these in the near

future and run it through some test of my own to see how it works. Tim

..

>

> I just found this article at http://www.newsrevi ew.com/reno/ content?oid=

1356906

February 8, 2010

Have been using a zapper for years. I believe I bought it through a New

Zealand mail order co. Don't remember where, however. It was under $200.00

USD in N.J.

In a message dated 2/8/2010 8:56:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

brott2179@... writes:

I have one of the Hulda books that describes an electronic device

that you can build so you can test the products you buy for the bad stuff. The

book is called the cure for all diseases. I will be building one of these

in the near future and run it through some test of my own to see how it

works. Tim

..

>

> I just found this article at _http://www.newsrevi_ (http://www.newsrevi/)

ew.com/reno/ content?oid= 1356906

February 24, 2010

By Lyndsey Layton

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Major U.S. foodmakers are quietly investigating how to rid their containers

of Bisphenol A, a chemical under scrutiny by federal regulators concerned

about links to a range of health problems, including reproductive disorders

and cancer.

But they are discovering how complicated it is to remove the chemical, which

is in the epoxy linings of nearly every metal can on supermarket shelves and

leaches into foods such as soup, liquid baby formula and soda. It is a goal

that is taking years to reach, costing millions and proving surprisingly

elusive.

Randy Hartnell, whose company, Vital Choice, sells products aimed at

health-conscious consumers, switched last year to can linings made without

BPA. It was a costly move that he figured would resonate in the niche market

that buys his canned wild salmon and low-mercury tuna.

But a recent Consumers Union test detected small amounts of BPA in Vital

Choice tuna, raising questions about whether it is possible to clean the

food supply of the ubiquitous chemical. The consumer group also found trace

amounts of BPA in baked beans made by Eden Foods, the only other U.S.

company that says it has switched to BPA-free cans.

" What we're hearing is, the stuff is just omnipresent, " said Hartnell, whose

Washington state company has spent as much as $10,000 on lab tests trying to

pinpoint the source of BPA in its canned tuna. " Is it in the cutting board?

The gloves that people wear who are working on the fish? Is it in the tuna

itself? We don't know. We're trying to figure it out. "

The food industry's efforts began even before the FDA announced last month

that it had reversed its position and is concerned about the safety of BPA,

which is used in thousands of consumer goods, including compact discs,

dental sealants and credit card and ATM receipts. Government studies

estimate that the chemical has been found in the urine of more than 90

percent of the population.

Foodmakers started looking for alternatives in 2008, after public pressure

spurred manufacturers of plastic baby bottles to voluntarily rid their

products of BPA. Several municipalities, Minnesota and Canada banned BPA

from baby bottles. And Congress is considering a bill filed by Sen. Dianne

Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. J. Markey (D-Mass.) that would ban BPA

from baby bottles, sports water bottles, reusable food containers, infant

formula liners and food can liners.

But foodmakers say they aren't waiting for legislation or regulation.

" It doesn't matter what FDA says. If consumers decide they don't want BPA,

you don't want it to be in a can that consumers don't want to buy, " said one

source at a major U.S. food company who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Major food companies declined to talk publicly about their efforts to find a

replacement for BPA linings. " We don't have a safe, effective alternative,

and that's an unhappy place to be, " the source said. " No one wants to talk

about that. "

Heinz, for instance, says it has switched to BPA-free cans for some products

but will not identify them or say what substitute it is using. General

Mills, which owns the Progresso and Muir Glen lines of canned products, said

it is testing BPA-free cans but would not elaborate. " We are optimistic that

safe and viable alternatives will be identified in time, " said

Forsythe, a company spokesman.

The Environmental Protection Agency has declared the daily safe BPA exposure

limit at 50 mg per kilogram of body weight, a level set in the 1980s. A

growing body of peer-reviewed research in the past decade has suggested that

very low levels -- below the federal threshold -- might be responsible for

health problems. BPA is a synthetic version of estrogen, and scientists

disagree about whether it causes lasting effects by triggering subtle

cellular changes.

M. Rost, chairman of the North American Metal Packaging Alliance, which

represents the canned food and beverage industry, said BPA has been " used

safely in metal food packaging for decades. They have been deemed safe by

regulatory agencies around the world. " He also said there hasn't been a case

of food-borne illness resulting from a failure of metal packaging since the

industry began using BPA in its linings more than 30 years ago.

Commercial uses of BPA exploded in the 1950s after scientists discovered its

ability to make plastics more durable and shatterproof. By 1963, scientists

were using it to create epoxy linings for steel cans, which held up under

heat and other extreme conditions. Because the BPA linings extended the

shelf life of canned goods, did not affect taste, prevented bacterial

contamination and were relatively cheap, they became the industry standard

by the 1970s.

The FDA does not know which companies use BPA, how much they use or how it

is applied, because manufacturers are not required to disclose that

information.

Some companies have had trouble finding out whether their cans contain BPA.

Potter, chief executive of Eden Foods, which makes canned organic

products, began asking suppliers about his can linings after reading German

research about BPA. " Trying to determine what was in the can linings that I

was purchasing to put food in was a daunting task, " he said. " Inevitably,

you end up speaking to a large law firm inside the Beltway that says you

don't have the right to know. "

It took two years, but in 1999, Potter prompted one supplier, the Ball

Corp., to switch to a can lined with oleoresin, a mixture of oil and a resin

extracted from plants such as pine.

The new cans are 14 percent more expensive, about 2.2 additional cents per

can, Potter said. " It went into our costing, and we passed it onto our

customers, " he said.

But oleoresin deteriorates in contact with acidic food, forcing Eden Foods

to use BPA in its linings for canned tomatoes. Potter said that was why

trace amounts of BPA -- one part per billion -- were detected by Consumers

Union in Eden Foods' baked beans. The beans were made with tomato puree that

had been stored in a can with a BPA lining.

The EPA and the FDA, which oversees the use of BPA in food and beverage

containers, are reviewing the chemical in light of new research. Last month,

the FDA said it would launch fast-track studies to clarify the research on

BPA. It is also encouraging manufacturers to migrate away from the chemical.

But the process is slow, because testing must take into account a shelf life

of two to five years for most canned foods. " You don't want to find out that

you made a switch based on six months of data but by 18 months the lining

breaks down and people are eating it, " an industry source said.

Makers of plastic bottles found a quick and relatively simple BPA

substitute, polypropylene, but canned-food makers are having considerably

more trouble.

Foodmakers say that some alternative linings disintegrate, reducing a

product's shelf life. Other linings can't withstand the high heat applied to

certain canned products to kill bacteria. Still others interfere with taste.

Consumer concerns led Japanese manufacturers to voluntarily reduce the use

of BPA between 1998 and 2003. But because cans were primarily used for

drinks, they could use a relatively simple polyester substitute. The

Japanese also got rid of tableware containing BPA used for school lunches.

After the change, Japanese scientists documented a significant drop in BPA

levels in research subjects' blood.

L. Brody, a food packaging expert who teaches at the University of

Georgia, said that even if health concerns are not valid, " if they had an

economic can coating that could be applied to food and/or beverage cans

today, the coatings industry, the canning industry, would have applied it

instantly to get this monkey off their back. "

How to reduce BPA exposure

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Infant formula: Choose powdered versions when possible. Cans of powdered and

liquid infant formula are lined with an epoxy made from bisphenol A. But the

Food and Drug Administration found that BPA leaches from the linings into

liquid formulas, not the powdered kind.

Canned foods: Tests by Consumers Union and the Environmental Working Group

found the highest levels of BPA in canned soups and pasta, but it was also

detected in canned fruits, vegetables and beverages. When possible, use

frozen fruits and vegetables, and buy soups and beverages in glass

containers. Cardboard " brick packaging " for soups, broths and tomatoes is

another BPA-free alternative.

Plastics: BPA is often found in polycarbonate plastic food containers that

are marked with " PC " or with the recycling number 7. Plastics with the

recycling label numbers 1, 2 and 4 do not contain BPA.

Water bottles: Some metal water bottles are lined with a coating that

contains BPA. Use stainless steel bottles that are not lined or plastic

bottles that are clearly marked BPA-free. Avoid old or scratched plastic

bottles.

Heating: Avoid microwaving foods or liquids in polycarbonate plastic

containers. Use glass or ceramic containers instead.

March 23, 2012

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: " Ken Cook, EWG " <ewg@...>

hibaoj@...

Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 7:09 PM

Subject: BPA

Remember to add ewg@... to your contact list.

Dear Hiba,

The federal Food and Drug Administration will announce its decision on whether

to ban bisphenol A from food packaging by next weekend! Environmental Working

Group, our supporters and many like-minded organizations have been fighting for

this moment for years. But for just as long, the food and chemical industries -

and their lobbyists - have been striving to make sure it never comes.

The food and chemical industries are so nervous about the FDA's upcoming

decision that one sympathizer went as far as to write and publish an outrageous

fake strategy memo - purportedly from the environmental community - claiming

that this potent synthetic estrogen is safe.

Let's make sure that we get the last word! More than 79,000 EWG supporters have

already sent their message to the FDA - but we need your help to reach our goal

of 100,000 messages sent.

The FDA needs to hear from us right now - before it makes up its mind - that we

want BPA out of our food packaging.

Click here to send your message to the FDA today. We want safe, healthy food.

EWG has been at the forefront of BPA research since 2007, when we released a

first-of-its-kind study that found that BPA had leached from can linings into

more than half of the canned foods, beverages and liquid infant formula we

tested. This synthetic estrogen is used to harden plastic. It shows up in epoxy

for food can linings and polycarbonate plastics for beverage bottles. It's also

in some store receipts. It can disrupt the hormone system and has been linked to

serious health problems such as early puberty, brain and heart disorders,

infertility and prostate and breast cancer.

With one decision, the FDA can begin to rid food packaging of BPA for good.

There is no time to lose. We must make sure the FDA hears us in these final

days. Industry is pulling out all the stops and so are we. Let's send the FDA

100,000 messages calling for the right decision on BPA. Take action today.

Click here to send your message to the FDA. Let's make sure it makes the right

decision.

Thank you for taking action. Together, we can get BPA out of our food's

packaging.

Sincerely,

Ken Cook

President, Environmental Working Group

UNSUBSCRIBE | CHANGE OPTIONS

The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit, non-partisan research

organization dedicated to using the power of information to protect human health

and the environment. The EWG Action Fund is a legislative advocacy organization

that uses EWG research to promote healthy and sustainable policies.

HEADQUARTERS 1436 U St. NW, Suite 100 | Washington, DC 20009 | (202) 667-6982

March 23, 2012