Study: Certain Foods May Contain High Levels Of Phthalates

HealthDay (2/28, Storrs) reports, “Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, two types of chemicals in plastics that have been linked to a number of health effects, could still find their way into your body even if you avoid foods that are shipped, stored or cooked using plastic materials.”

In a study published Feb. 27 in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, the researchers “detected high levels in milk, butter and cream, and also in some of the spices, such as cinnamon and ground coriander.” The Food and Drug Administration “approved phthalates for use in food packaging back in the 1960s, and has not reevaluated their safety since then, said Dr. Sarah Janssen, a senior scientist in the Health and Environment program of the Natural Resources Defense Council.” The FDA “has been reviewing the safety” of BPA, but “its evaluation has depended heavily on studies funded by the chemical industry, Janssen said.”

Cambro, a manufacturer of Food Pans and Food Storage Containers for the restaurant and catering industry provided the following information in regards to BPA in their polycarbonate products:

Recent news coverage regarding baby bottles, has suggested that all plastic containers and bottles labeled with the number "7" contain BPA. While all polycarbonate plastics containing BPA are labeled with the number "7" recycling category, not all number "7" contain BPA.

Based on the combination of materials used, some of Cambro products that do not contain BPA fall into category "7" for recycling. Cambro certifies that the food contact products made from the polycarbonate resins meet all applicable requests and regulations in the U. S. regarding food and safety. Bisphenol-A is key building block used to make the polycarbonate resin. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation prescribing safe conditions of use can be found at 21 CFR 177.1580.

Products produced with the polycarbonate plastic based resin are meant for its intended use as specified in Cambro’s written materials (e.g. instructions and product labels). The resin meets the FDA regulations to be used safely with food. The Polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins made with bisphenol-a (BPA) have been rigorously tested and safely used for more than 40 years. They have been repeatedly found to be safe for consumer use by governments around the world.

Further information can be found at www.bisphenol-a.org.