BPA in Cans: The States Respond

The response around the country to Tuesday's No Silver Lining report release was loud and clear: Americans want Bisphenol-A (BPA) out of their cans, and they want it out now. The report found BPA in over 90% of the cans tested, and some with levels that were higher than even anticipated.

Today, we bring you the response from the states about BPA.

Many states are working hard to have BPA -- a ubiquitous chemical that is known to cause health effects including impaired brain and reproductive development in unborn babies, miscarriage in pregnant women, diabetes, obesity and cancer -- banned from children's products in their states.

Nationally, the Food Safety Modernization Act could help protect vulnerable populations from BPA exposure, if a BPA amendment proposed by Senator Feinstein (D-CA) passes. You can contact your legislators to let them know you support including BPA in the Food Safety Act.

From A Healthy Tomorrow, Massachusetts:

Rev. Dr. Jim Antal submitted cans from his home in Framingham, Massachusetts, to be tested. Antal, who is Conference Minister and President of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, had his body tested for environmental contaminants, including BPA, three years ago.

"Three years ago when my body was tested for BPA and other environmental contaminants no one knew the danger threshold of these chemicals," Antal said. "Because Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and other advocacy and scientific organizations have continued to speak out, now we see changes in water bottle manufacturing and we're learning that even tiny doses matter. It’s way past time that Massachusetts regulate the use of BPA and other chemicals to protect the lives of our children and future generations to the fullest extent possible."

From The Ecology Center, Michigan:

In Michigan, Michigan State Representative Mark Meadows (East Lansing) has introduced legislation (HB 4522) to phase-out the use of BPA baby bottles, sippy cups and other reusable containers as well as baby food and infant formula containers. This bill is currently under consideration by the House Committee on Great Lakes and the Environment and may be voted on soon.

"Meals involving one or more canned goods can expose an individual to levels of BPA that have been shown to cause adverse health effects in laboratory animal studies," said Jeff Gearhart, Research Director at Ecology Center. "We need to eliminate these and other exposures, which is why we are supporting Michigan HB 4522, which would prohibit the use of bisphenol A in a targeted set of products to which children are directly exposed."

From Just Green, New York:

Bobbi Chase Wilding of Clean New York, and a report co-author for The National Workgroup for Safe Markets says, "I was pregnant with my second child at the time of this study, and I hate to think I exposed her to BPA through the canned foods I ate, especially when there is evidence that even small amounts of this chemical can cross the placenta and impact prenatal development."

From the Oregon Environmental Council:

"It's the exposure to young children and unborn children that are going to have the biggest impact," said Renee Hackenmiller-Paradis, the council's program director for environmental health.

From the Indiana Toxics Project:

"The results of this study show the need for Indiana and the federal government to take action and remove BPA from our food and drink," said Gary resident Lin Kaatz Chary of the Indiana Toxics Action Project.

Meanwhile, the state of Vermont this week passed a BPA ban into law. The law will ban the manufacture, sale or distribution of canned infant formula, bottled infant formula, plastic baby containers, and reusable food and beverage containers containing BPA.