Campbell Soup to phase out BPA in all its canned products, has already started using BPA alternatives in some of its soup packaging as pressure mounts from parents, advocacy groups; FDA to decide on BPA's safety by March 31

Lorena Madrigal

LOS ANGELES , March 5, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) –

Campbell Soup Co. announced on March 5 that it will phased out bisphenol A (BPA) from all of its canned products and that it is already using BPA alternatives in some of its soup packaging, reported Forbes Magazine on March 5.

The plan to shift away from the chemical used in its can linings is not expected to impose a significant cost to the company, said Craig Owens, Campbell’s CFO, at a February shareholders meeting.

The Camden, New Jersey-based company has not announced a specific timeline or released further details of its plan to go BPA-free, Forbes reported.

Pressure on the company began last September, when the Breast Cancer Fund found that Campbell’s soup had some of the highest BPA levels among various canned foods it tested. The company’s children’s soups and Spaghetti-O’s ranked highest in the study.

In October, a report from the Harvard School of Public Health linked the hyperactive, depressive and anxious behavior in young girls to the mothers’ BPA levels during pregnancy, reported Forbes.

The American Chemistry Council has denounced the Harvard study, claiming that it has “significant shortcomings” and draws “conclusions of unknown relevance to public health,” among other arguments.

Earlier in March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would make a decision on its reevaluation of the safety of BPA by March 31, Forbes reported.

Steven Hentges, who is with the ACC’s polycarbonate/BPA global group, has told the New York Times that the FDA and its team of scientists should be making regulatory decisions, rather than state lawmakers.

In late February, French legislators voted to uphold a ban on BPA in all packaged foods. This is expected to lead to a similar move by the European Union, which would hamper U.S. exports of BPA-containing products to Europe, reported Forbes.

Several states, including California, have moved ahead to ban the use of BPA in children’s products.

So far, the FDA has maintained that BPA is not a health risk at the low levels in which it is used in canned and packaged foods, Forbes reported.

The primary source of this article is Forbes Magazine, New York, New York, on March 5, 2012.

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