We’ve had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Philip J. Landrigan during our involvement in his 4^th Annual “Greening our Children” event and most recently at a talk he gave as the Director of Mount Sinai’s Children’s Environmental Health Center in NYC. Landrigan, a pediatrician and epidemiologist, quite frankly is our GOD when it comes to keeping kids safe from chemicals in our environment. He’s been most recently discussing the hazards of BPA. Hard to believe, but his research is especially timely given his plea to keep the toxic out of our Thanksgiving.

What is BPA?

Bisphenol-A, (BPA) is a man-made chemical that is found in hard plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, plastic dinnerware and in the metal lining of cans.

Why should we care about BPA?

BPA is an endocrine disrupting nightmare and has been linked to an increase in the risk of breast cancer, effects on reproductive development, obesity, early puberty, and type-2 diabetes.  It makes for one unwelcome dinner guest at your holiday table.

Why is BPA in canned foods?

Canned foods and beverages use BPA as part of a shield or lining which prevents corrosion of the can and contamination of food. Simply put, BPA can leach into food from the can’s chemical lining.

What does BPA have to do with Thanksgiving?

A recent report conducted by The Breast Cancer Fund, tested several commonly used traditional Thanksgiving canned foods.  Just about 1/2 of all products tested had high levels of BPA. The report stated that BPA levels ranged from 2 ppb (parts per billion) up to 221 ppb. To put that in perspective, when exposed in the womb, an exposure of 11 ppb in 4 ounces of food is enough to cause fetal brain disruption.

Can we avoid BPA in canned foods?

Remember, most canned food comes in a whole food alternative. That said…

• Use frozen foods instead of canned foods.
• Purchase foods that are available in a Tetra Pak, a safer alternative to cans.
• Prepare whole foods from scratch vs. preparing canned products.

Aren’t organic canned foods safe?

Organic canned food does not = BPA-free food! Legislation bans BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups in 11 states, but there’s much more work to be done on getting BPA out of our canned food.

This holiday we’re very thankful for the work of Dr. Landrigan, his involvement with the Children’s Environmental Health Center and the research being conducted around children’s environmental health. Here’s to a BPA-free holiday and beyond!