When Consumers Stopped Buying BPA Packaging, Producers Stopped Making It

Report: One-third of food companies have plans to phase out the use of controversial chemical, Bisphenol A.

October 31, 2010 at 7:27PM by Marion Nestle | comment

According to FoodProductionDaily.com, a new report says that consumer concerns are driving companies to take bisphenol A (BPA) out of their packaging. BPA, you may recall from previous posts, is an estrogen disrupting chemical in plastic containers and the linings of food cans. Although the harm it causes is not well established, many groups have been working to get rid of it on the theory that estrogen disruption is not a good idea.

The USA Today account says

Some retailers say they’re working hard to go BPA-free. Last year, only 7% of companies had timeliness to phase out BPA. This year, 32% have set timelines, the report says. Most large baby bottle makers already have stopped using BPA.

It quotes the author of the report as saying that consumers are “voting with their shopping carts….This is definitely a story about consumers having a lot of power with the big companies….Investors and shareholders have a big impact, as well.”

In other words, getting BPA out of plastics is good for business.

And sometimes, consumer choice really works.

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tags: bisphenol a in food packaging, bpa in food packaging, bpa

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Marion Nestle

Noted author Marion Nestle is a Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University. She is the author of What to Eat.
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