Last week, over on Eco Women, I wrote about how Coca-Cola, Campbell’s, Del Monte and other manufacturers of canned foods and beverages, met to come up with a public relations and lobbying strategy to stop the government from banning the use of Bisphenol-A, or BPA, from being used in the linings of metal lids and cans. The level they’re willing to stoop will shock you.
BPA is an endocrine disruptor which mimics estrogen. It has been shown to cause impaired brain and neurological functions, testicular and breast cancer, chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, early puberty, adult-onset diabetes, and obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. Take a look at my earlier post for examples of where you can find BPA.
Safer States is group of environmental health coalitions and organizations that works to protect citizens from toxic threats, such as lead, PBDEs, phthalates, and bisphenol A, at a state level. They believe a national chemical policy reform is urgently needed; however, they aren’t standing by waiting for it. Their site will keep you up to date with studies, new locations, and places where these toxic chemicals are being banned. Their site also has a link for you to easily contact members of congress and ask them to ban BPA from food and beverage containers.
In addition, you can follow Safer States on Twitter or Safer Cans, another organization working to ban BPA, to keep youself informed.
Thanks so much for spreading the word about the Safer Cans movement to encourage the canning industry to find a safer alternative to BPA for their can linings! It’s shocking to think about the numerous sources of BPA exposure our little ones endure, from bottles to baby food containers to receipts at the grocery store. It’s time to take a stand and let our voices be heard!
Keep up the great work!
Alicia
Thank you for this post and for promoting our campaign at http://www.safercans.org. We are working to gain Facebook and Twitter fans/followers to organize social media networks for campaign against toxic BPA in cans. We appreciate your support and that you are spreading the word.