6 Tips to Spring Clean Your Pantry
(Health Secrets) It makes sense to have a reserve food supply. Canned food not only provides long term storage and survives external contamination, but also provides a backup in the event of a food shortage. However, it turns out there is a potentially toxic chemical in canned food, even if the label says it is organic. This notable contaminant is Bisphenol A (BPA) a powerful hormone disruptor that has been linked to cancer, birth defects and other health issues. It is found in the plastic liners of cans and can leach into the food they contain. This article will explore the problem and note the three companies that have made an effort to reduce BPA in their canned products.
Is Food Shortage Actually Possible in the US?
While we live in a world of perceived abundance, the reality is that there is not enough food in the stores to supply everyone should regular delivery suffer interference. Should a food shortage occur, by the time you get to the store the only things left will be diapers, pork rinds and vanilla flavored yogurt! It’s more important than ever to put away a few cases of nourishing storable food. Given expected dramatic inflation regarding food prices, chances are that stocking up on foods with a long shelf life is a good investment. But finding food that comes in non-toxic packaging is not easy.
What is BPA?
BPA is a plasticizer, a chemical used in the production of plastic products. BPA was invented in 1891 and it has been known since the 1930’s that it is estrogenic, meaning it mimics the hormone estrogen and can fit into estrogen receptors in the bodies of males and females. BPA has been linked to sexual dysfunction in men, and even a trace amount can cause reactions. Thus BPA is considered unsafe at any level by many natural health experts. Yet millions of tons of the BPA compound are used annually, about 5% of which is used in food contact applications.
BPA Free Cans
Nowadays most food companies have jumped on the health bandwagon, but how much do these companies really care about your health? Many sell cans with an “all natural” label, but only three companies were found to have special types of cans to reduce BPA:
- Eden Foods has cans that are BPA-free, but this does not include their tomato products.
- Vital Choice, a company that specializes in seafood, has less BPA in their cans than most companies but tests have still found traces.
- Organic Storable Foods now offers a line of canned products that contain bags inside the cans. This way the food never touches the can liner directly.
BPA Hall of Shame
Most “health food” companies are continuing to use BPA in their cans while providing otherwise top notch organic products. But why go through all the trouble of providing high quality foods that are “free of synthetic chemicals, pesticides or preservatives”, only to ship them in tainted packaging materials? These companies should just drop the excuses and spend the few extra pennies per can so they can label it BPA free. However, many of them become hypocritical when it comes to defending their use of BPA . After preaching “organic” they suddenly hide behind the FDA (who always supported non-organic to begin with) the moment there is controversy.
FDA Declares BPA safe
Soon after BPA was discovered to be a problem it was banned in Canada. The FDA followed by taking immediate action to protect the people they serve: corporations. The FDA claimed that BPA was perfectly safe. Their philosophy was simple: declare BPA safe first and ask questions later. However in late October 2008, an FDA “study” that declared BPA safe was widely criticized by dozens of actual scientists.
Canned foods are an essential part of preparedness, but with the majority of cans containing dangerous Bisphenol-A, the storing of them becomes questionable. While so few companies currently confirm selling cans with BPA-free or even BPA-reduced liners, hopefully more companies will follow suit.
For more information:
http://www.breastcancerfund.org/assets/pdfs/tips-fact-sheets/tip-card-ten-canned-foods-to.pdf
