EWG Launches New Assault Against BPA in Cans
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a “non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment,” has issued an analysis of more than 250 foods that identifies which of the products’ cans are lined with bisphenol A (BPA) as well as an online petition imploring consumers to encourage companies to stop using BPA-based epoxy resins in can linings.
“The biggest problem is that people have no reliable way of knowing whether they are buying food that is laced with this toxic chemical,” an EWG representative was quoted as saying. “Federal regulations do not require manufacturers to label their products to identify cans with BPA-based linings. … We hope to arm people with the critical information they need to avoid BPA and make smarter shopping decisions.”
EWG classifies the food companies mentioned in the survey into four categories of “players,” claiming that 78 brands (“worst” players) use BPA-lined cans for all products; 31 brands (“best” players) use BPA-free cans for all products; and 34 brands (“better” players) use BPA-free cans for one or more products. A total of 109 brands were deemed “uncertain” players because inadequate information about their products was available for EWG to make a determination.
BPA has allegedly been linked to a variety of health issues, including brain and behavioral disorders, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. See EWG News Release, June 3, 2015.
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