BPA is in your food.
 |
| image courtesy of |
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/
Resources:
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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.
sources
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