Bisphenol A has been in the news lately, and you may have heard Lalla talk about it during coffee hour. BPA is a hormone disruptor linked to cancer, diabetes, developmental disorders, early puberty in girls, and male infertility. Found in linings of most food cans, jar lids, cash-register receipts, vinyl shower curtains, and some No. 7 plastics, it’s been seeping into our bodies. Because its use is so widespread, scientists have now detected the industrial chemical in our air, water, sand, and even the cord blood of nine out of 10 newborns. BPA expert Laura Vandenberg, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow of biology at the Center for Developmental and Regenerative Biology at Tufts University in Massachusetts, states, “There’s no safe dose when it comes to endocrine-disrupting chemicals that act like hormones. Because hormones act at extremely small concentrations—think of a drop of water in an Olympic-size swimming pool—even small changes in hormone actions can have drastic effects.”
Maine has taken the lead in keeping us healthy by banning BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups. Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine is working to remove it from food containers marketed to children. At the federal level, the Food and Drug Administration is currently considering a ban on BPA in all food containers. In the meantime, Campbells has decided to remove BPA from its soup cans. Stay tuned for more companies taking this responsible step toward keeping people healthy. Thank you to all in our congregation who signed the petition to take BPA out of food containers marketed to toddlers!
