30 March 2011 — A groundbreaking peer-reviewed study by the Breast Cancer Fund (BCF) and the Silent Spring Institute (SSI) on the effects of plastic food packaging was announced today, and has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. It is entitled: Food Packaging and Bisphenol A and Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate Exposure: Findings from a Dietary Intervention. Laboratory studies with animals have link endocrine disruptors, including bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, to various adverse health effects, but this appears to be the first peer-reviewed study involving human test subjects.
The researchers provided five San Francisco Bay Area families with three days worth of fresh organic food – stored only in glass, not canned or packaged in plastic – and the family members also avoided packaged foods prepared outside the home. The families were tested before, during and after eating the fresh food for three days, and the results were stunning. Their levels of endocrine disruptors decreased dramatically, in particular bisphenol A (BPA), which showed a 60% decrease, and Bis(2-Ethyhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP), a 50% dip. The upshot: Decrease your exposure to plastic packaging and you decrease your intake of endocrine disruptors.
Both BPA and DEHP are commonly used in food packaging; BPA as polycarbonate plastic for drinks and the epoxy liner of most canned goods, and DEHP as a softening agent in many plastic wraps. BPA has been linked to numerous health problems including chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. DEHP has been shown to interfere with hormonal signaling and male reproductive development in laboratory and human studies.
For a detailed overview of the study, take a look at this Fact Sheet prepared by BCF.
Based on the study and other research, BCF and SSI make the following suggestions for decreasing BPA and phthalate intake:
* Cook at home with fresh foods. Avoid canned foods.
* If eating out, choose restaurants that use fresh ingredients.
* Store food in glass or stainless steel rather than plastic.
* Do not microwave food in plastic.
* For coffee, use a french press, rather than an automatic coffee maker as most have plastic interiors and tubing
They strongly suggest avoiding the canned foods listed in the graphic below as they are especially acidic, salty or fatty, and thus increase BPA leaching.
