12 Tips to Avoid BPA

Campbell’s Soup, the world’s largest soup maker, stopped using bisphenol-A (BPA) a few years ago, in the lining of its cans. I hope other canned goods manufactures will take their lead and voluntarily follow suit.

While I generally try to avoid canned food and eat fresh or frozen when possible, knowing that the BPA is gone will help to ease my mind a little when I’m out of time or groceries and need to reach for the canned beans or tomatoes. (Canned food is also generally high in salt content and may contain preservatives, so I’m still cautious and prefer eating fresh food and cooking dried beans as much as possible.)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found BPA in almost all Americans it tested – 93% of people over the age of six. Subsequent studies found that most of it comes from canned food and beverages, cash register receipts, plastic food and beverage containers, and restaurant meals.

Over a hundred independent animal studies have indicated that BPA is toxic. Some report that the adverse effects occur at BPA levels that are at or below the current acceptable daily intake for people. Recent research of the human population links it to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, infertility, learning and behavioral problems, and cancer.

While the long process of science is still sorting itself out, it’s wise to stay on the safe side and avoid BPA whenever you can.

For those days when you feel there’s little alternative to reaching for canned food, be sure that the label notes it is BPA free.
Abstain from canned soft drinks. A Health Canada study found that the majority of them have low but measurable levels of BPA. They’re not a healthy option anyway. Classic Yoga texts recommend pure water as the primary beverage. Adding a fresh squeezed lemon to clean tap water provides a burst of vitamin C.
Avoid handling printed receipts when possible, especially with wet or greasy fingers which increase absorption through the skin. To avoid ingestion, don’t touch your food with a hand that just grabbed a receipt without washing it first.
Wash your hands immediately after handling money. It was demonstrated that receipts placed next to paper money in a wallet for 24 hours caused a dramatic increase in the concentration of BPA in the paper currency. That makes money in circulation a potential secondary source. The longer BPA is on your hands after touching money, the greater the chance of absorption.
Wash your hands after handling toilet paper, newspapers, and paper napkins. They can become contaminated with BPA during the recycling process.
Never eat or drink anything from a plastic container that has a number 7 in a triangle on it. Not all plastics in the #7 category have BPA, but many of them do.
Don’t put any plastic containers in the microwave. Some ready-made microwavable meals can also leach BPA.
Store food in glass or stainless steel containers. Plastic lids are okay, but they shouldn’t touch the food.
If you use plastics in the kitchen, wash them by hand without using a harsh detergent. If you don’t have the time, placing them on the top shelf of the dishwasher is the second-best option.
Use stainless steel water bottles that do not have a liner. Some are manufactured with an epoxy-based enamel lining that leaches BPA.
Don’t eat out – or choose restaurants you know use fresh ingredients. Many of them stock up with canned soups, fruits, vegetables, etc. Take out foods often come in plastic containers that leach chemicals into hot food.
Use a French press or have an instant coffee to satisfy the urge for a coffee beverage. Automatic coffee makers may have BPA and pthalates (another toxic chemical found in some plastics) in their plastic containers and tubing. And, if you’re not using an automatic coffee maker, you’ll be less likely to make a drink a whole pot.