Lyndsey Layton, “Alternatives to BPA Containers Not Easy for U.S. Foodmakers to Find,” The Washington Post, February 23, 2010

According to this article, companies trying to find ways to can their food products in metal containers without bisphenol A (BPA) have found that the search is costing millions and may not ultimately result in BPA-free foods. Companies no longer using cans with linings containing BPA have apparently found traces of the ubiquitous chemical in their foods and are trying to determine whether the source is cutting boards, latex gloves or even the food items themselves.

Food manufacturers are not waiting for the government to act on proposals to ban the substance; they reportedly began searching for alternatives in 2008 after consumer pressure motivated manufacturers to remove BPA from plastic baby bottles. While it has been relatively easy for plastic-bottle makers to find a simple BPA substitute, canned-food manufacturers face problems such as alternative lining disintegration, taste issues and the inability of the other linings to withstand the high temperatures needed to kill bacteria.

Referring to the Food and Drug Administration’s recent decision to reconsider its finding that BPA is safe to use, the article quotes the North American Metal Packaging Alliance’s chair who said that the chemical has been “used safely in metal food packaging for decades. They have been deemed safe by regulatory agencies around the world.” He also noted that no case of food-borne illness from a metal packaging failure has occurred since the industry started using BPA in can linings more than three decades ago. Japanese manufacturers apparently began reducing their use of BPA between 1998 and 2003 and also stopped producing tableware containing BPA for school lunches. Researchers reportedly documented a significant reduction of BPA levels in the blood of test subjects after the change.