Ever had Bisphenol A with your dinner?

What is Bisphenol, you ask? If you remember many headlines a couple of years ago about a chemical that is added to plastic and can wreak havoc with people’s health, well, it’s the same one! Banned from sports bottles, baby bottles and sippy cups by many countries — a great pro-active step initiated by Canada in 2008, Bisphenol A (or BPA) is a chemical that makes plastic tough and durable, lines cans with that innocent-looking white layer you find as you pry the can open and it is also found on receipts. That’s right, the ones almost every one of us handles on a daily basis, or for eight hours a day on a daily basis for those who work in retail or grocery stores.

From a health perspective, BPA is less glamorous. Based on many studies that have looked at laboratory animals as well as human exposure, BPA can affect the nervous system and the brain, it is an endocrine disruptor hence it affects the hormonal system and the reproductive system, it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity and the risk of breast cancer. It’s not pretty. As always, children and infants, even fetuses, are more at risk because of their developing bodies.

While Canada has banned BPA-containing plastic from use in plastic water bottles, baby bottles and sippy cups, there is still a lot of the dreaded chemical in food packaging such as can lining, and according to the latest reviews by health committees, exposure levels are considered too low to take action such as a complete ban.

That leaves you, the health-conscious consumer in charge. Here’s the three things you can do to limit exposure:

• Avoid canned foods that still have BPA in their lining (canned tomatoes, soup and tuna have been shown to have the highest concentrations)
• Avoid heating your meals in plastic containers
• Avoid touching receipts if possible

As always, stepping outside for a walk, rain or shine, and avoiding long-term exposure to indoor air chemicals, is one of the best things you can do for yourself.