This week, California decided to add bisphenol A (BPA) to Proposition 65, a list of chemicals considered dangerous enough that products containing high amounts of them must carry warning labels. “Putting a chemical on Proposition 65 is a big deal, because that means it’s officially been recognized as a reproductive and developmental hazard,” says Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental nonprofit that’s been lobbying the Food and Drug Administration to ban the chemical from food products. Some other chemical notables on the list include lead, asbestos, arsenic, and tobacco smoke. BPA is currently used in dozens of consumer good categories, including the linings of food cans. And while the chemical industry insists that BPA is safe—and the FDA has declined to ban the chemical—a growing body of research suggests otherwise. In 2008, the federal government’s National Toxicology Program reviewed research linking BPA exposure to decreased sperm function, polycystic ovarian syndrome, heart disease, diabetes, and breast cancer—and it determined that BPA clearly causes reproductive harm. In fact, it was that 2008 review that California used to determine BPA poses a risk big enough that the public needs to be alerted to its presence in consumer goods. But getting BPA on the list is just the first step, says Dr. Janssen. The second step is determining a maximum allowable dose level, which the state has yet to do (and she says the current level being considered is too high to make much of an impact). Another concern? Dr. Janssen says BPA’s inclusion on the Proposition 65 list will drive manufacturers to find alternatives—which opens up a whole new BPA-lined can of worms. “What I hope doesn’t get lost in this good news is that ‘BPA free’ doesn’t mean ‘safe,’ ” she says. “Manufacturers are already scrambling to remove BPA from their products,” she adds, but some are turning to other toxic chemicals. For instance, vinyl, one of the most toxic plastics you can find, is commonly used in “BPA free” cans that contain tomatoes and tomato-based products. Your safest bet? Stick with foods packaged in glass or cartons, which don’t require linings, and avoid plastics and receipts (which are coated with a BPA-based resin that can rub off on your hands) as best you can. More from Prevention: The Truth About Canned Foods
