BPA IN CHILDRENS FOOD PACKAGING

Examples of products with BPA and BPA-free products

Although most plastic baby bottles and sippy cups are now BPA-free, children are still exposed to BPA from other food contact sources, including baby food jar lids, formula cans and food and beverage cans lined with an epoxy resin that contains BPA. 1. BPA in Glass Baby Food Jar Lids. The plastic coating on many glass baby food jar lids contains BPA, which can leach into the food. Fortunately safer alternatives are available, including: lids with polyester coatings, PET film, baked on resins (e.g. Oleoresin) or corn based isosorbide diglycidyl ether liners.1 Examples of commercially prepared baby food in BPA-free containers: Sprout Baby; Yummy Spoonfuls; Happy Baby; Plum Organics; Homemade Baby; Tasty Baby; Yummy in my Tummy; Ellas Kitchen; Pomme Bebe; Petite Palette; Parents Choice; Gerber (Nestle); Earths Best (Hain); Danone YoBaby (Stonyfield); 2 3 4 and frozen baby food. Examples of commercially prepared baby food in containers using BPA: Beechnut (Hero);5 6 Healthy Times; 7 8 Full Circle;9 Wild Harvest10. (Company representatives for these brands stated that they want to phase out BPA in baby food jar lids, but are still evaluating the best alternative.) Other brands may also contain BPA. 2. BPA in Liquid Infant Formula Cans. The plastic coating on some formula cans contains BPA, which can leach into the formula. Fortunately safer alternatives are available, including: plastic bottles such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate or Tritan Copolyester or cans with polyester coatings, PET film, baked on resins (e.g. Oleoresin) or corn based isosorbide diglycidyl ether liners; 11 and Tetra Paks. Examples of BPA-free formula cans: Enfamil (Mead Johnson); Gerber (Nestle); Similac (Abbott); most Parents Choice which include Babies R Us and other store brands (Perrigo or PBM); Earths Best (Hain).12 Examples of formula cans with BPA: Parents Choice liquid ready-to-feed infant formula and two pediatric nutritional drinks.13 Other manufacturers may still be using BPA-containing formula cans. 3. BPA in Canned Food. Canned food geared to children is often lined with an epoxy resin that contains BPA. Some of the following examples are not specific to canned food geared to children, but canned food in general.

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Examples of canned food in BPA-free containers: Eden organic beans; Muir Glen tomatoes; Bionature tomatoes; Jovial tomatoes; selected Trader Joes canned goods (corn, beans, meat and some fruits and vegetables); Native Forest/Native Factor; Oregons Choice tuna; Vital Choice Seafood. Another BPA-free alternative is food packaged in Tetra Paks, which are 70% paperboard, lined with aluminum foil and LDPE. 14 Examples of canned food in containers using BPA: Almost everything else, including foods marketed to children e.g. Campbells Dora the Explorer Condensed Soup; Campbells SpaghettiOs Original Disney Princess; and Chef Boyardee Mac & Cheese. 15

Regulation of BPA in childrens food packaging:

France has banned BPA in food packaging geared to kids under age 3 in 2013 and requires the phase out of BPA in all food packaging in 2015.16 Laws in Vermont and Connecticut require baby food jars and infant formula cans to be BPA-free. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection has recommended a ban on BPA from baby food jars and formula cans, which awaits approval by the Maine Legislature.17

NOTE TO CONSUMERS: This document is not intended as a consumer guide to purchasing BPA-free products. Contact: Kathleen Schuler, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, kschuler@iatp.org, 612-870-3468

Kline TR, Ruhter MC. Alternatives Analysis Report for Bisphenol-A in Infant Formula Cans and Baby Food Jar Lids. TechLaw, December 2012, prepared for Maine Department of Environmental Protection. 2 Safe Mama, http://safemama.com/2010/02/05/cheat-sheet-bpa-free-baby-food-baby-food-creation-andstorage-tools/. 3 The Soft Landing, http://guide.thesoftlanding.com/which-prepared-baby-food-containers-are-bpa-free/ 4 Belliveau ME. Safer Alternatives to Bisphenol A (BPA) Are Available for Food and Beverage Packaging for Young Children. June 2012. Environmental Health Strategies Center. 5 Beech Nut Customer Service, February 4, 2013. 6 Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, Chemical Analysis for BPA in Baby Food Jar Lids and Toddler Food Cans, February 2012 www.cleanandhealthyme.org . 7 Healthy Times Customer Service, February 6, 2013. 8 Conversation with John Ypma, President Initiative Foods, February 7, 2013. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 Kline,2012. 12 Belliveau,2012. 13 Belliveau,2012. 14 The Soft Landing. http://guide.thesoftlanding.com.bpa-free-canned-food-options/ 15 Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, February 2012. 16 Goessl, Leigh. France bans BPA in food packaging. Digital Journal, December 13, 2012. www.digitaljournal.com/article/338959 17 Shepherd, Michael. Maine board backs ban on BPA in baby-food packaging. Portland Press Herald, January 17, 2013. www.pressherald.com/news/Maine-board-backs-ban-on-BPA-in-baby-food.html

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