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BPA is in your food.

image courtesy of gonzoj.wordpress.com
well, technically, it won't be listed in any ingredient list under another sneaky name but it may be in your food never the less.

also known as Bisphenol A it is a component used in making polycarbonate plastics and resins.  water bottles, baby bottles, tableware, receipt paper and CD's are some of the products that might contain BPA.  It is also found in the air, drinking and ground water as it is released into the environment during manufacturing these plastics

BPA gets in to our food by leeching from the packaging.  unfortunately, this includes canned foods because most cans are coated with an epoxy resin coating on the inside to prevent microbial contamination.

even though small amounts are deemed safe by the FDA, more studies are beginning to determine that even small amounts may lead to endocrine disruption.  this can lead to other chronic illnesses like diabetes, liver damage, cardiac problems and has even linked to cancer although there is still much debate as to what degree of exposure is dangerous.  many studies also seem to report that much of the exposure is particularly harmful when exposed in-utero and for children during infancy and developmental years.  brain changes, behavioral changes and even prostate anomalies have been noted with studies where infants and children were test subjects.

so what can you do to decrease your exposure?

·         keep bottled water usage to a minimum and do not reuse them
·         don't heat food and beverages in packaging and cans
·         do not heat food in plastic storage containers
·         choose products that advertise BPA free packaging
·         store food or drinks in glass or stainless steel
·         avoid #7 plastics
·         remember BPA free is better, but glass or stainless is best to prevent chemical leeching

This website lists all of the companies currently use BPA free cans.  http://bpafreecannedfood.wordpress.com/

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hexane

if you’ve watched the news lately, you may have heard about the hexane poisoning of 137 workers at a Chinese plant that manufactures touch screens for smart phones.  hexane according to government standards only exposes us to mild toxicity when ingested and is most toxic when inhaled.  however, long term exposure can cause extremity and muscle weakness, blurred vision, brain cell damage, nervous system inflammation and head ache and fatigue.  so what does this have to do with my food, you ask?

the chemical formula C6H14, hexane and other variations of the word, also known as 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, 2-3 dimethylbutane or 2-2 dimethylbutane is most commonly used in the food industry to extract oils like grapeseed, canola and soy, for example.  It is a hydrocarbon vapor that is most commonly extracted from crude oil.  it is also very commonly used as a solvent in industrial cleaners, leather and shoe glue, tile and roofing adhesive.

when looking for clean cooking oils, make sure that they are organic and read “cold pressed” or “expeller pressed” on the label to insure the cleanest extraction process was used.


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