More on Bisphenol A (BPA) in Aluminum Cans

A reader commented on yesterday's post about Bisphenol A in aluminum cans, stating that Muir Glen's 14.5 ounce containers of tomatoes do not have BPAin their linings.

Unfortunately this is not the case; there is BPA in the linings of all canned tomatoes.

Yesterday, I called Muir Glen (owned by General Mills) for verification. According to Harry, the customer service representative who helped me:
"All of our tomato products utilize BPA in the cans' linings. We are looking at alternatives, but right now there is not a viable solution. Virtually all manufacturers use aluminum cans with BPA in the linings." The notable exception is Eden Foods, which uses non BPA-lined cans for its bean products. (Eden's tomato products come in BPA-lined cans.) From the Eden website:
"All 33 Eden Organic Beans including Chili, Rice & Beans, Refried, and Flavored, are cooked in steel cans coated with a baked on oleoresinous c-enamel that does not contain the endocrine disrupter chemical, bisphenol-A (BPA). Oleoresin is a non-toxic mixture of an oil and a resin extracted from various plants, such as pine or balsam fir. These cans cost 14% more than the industry standard cans that do contain BPA. The Ball Corporation tells us that Eden is the only U.S. food maker to date to use these BPA free cans and we have been since April 1999." Interestingly, Eden is still independent, a rarity in the world of organic food. For the most part, all popular organic labels are owned by the multinationals.