Food Manufacturers Get Proactive against BPA

Nov. 3, 2010 /EIN Presswire/ -- Health officials from many nations continued to reach a consensus in Toronto about the safety of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging, but the food industry already seems to have come up with its verdict: ditch it.

The UN health agency convened the meeting in Canada, the nation that has done the most so far to limit the use of BPA in food packaging. Authorities will continue their sessions here all week.

Meanwhile, some of the world's biggest food companies are moving toward the elimination of BPA from cans and other food packages, prompted by consumer concerns that BPA can cause heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.

The world's biggest food manufacturer, Nestle, has announced it will stop putting BPA into U.S. products within three years. Heinz says it is at "an advanced stage" in removing BPA from U.K. baby food. General Mills already has eliminated BPA from some products, while Campbell has undertaken significant research.

BPA toughens the packaging of many tins, glass jars and plastic bottles and the casings of electronics gadgets such as TVs, mobile phones and laptop computers.

Many scientists believe BPA is a risk for breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, brain retardation, impotence and infertility because of hormonal affects.

So far the European Union's Food Safety Agency has continued to defend BPA as safe, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expressed some concerns.

More than 20 US states have introduced legislation to restrict BPA use.

For more food industry news, visit Food Industry Today (http://food.einnews.com), a food industry media monitoring service from EIN News.