While many companies (human and pet food companies) ignore the risks of BPA in can food linings, others have listened to consumer concerns and taken note of recent science. Seeking Safer Packaging surveyed leading human canned food producers and provides consumers grades for each company for their efforts to move away from BPA lined canned foods. “Unfortunately some of the largest companies are the biggest laggards in seeking substitutes to and phasing out BPA.”
The Safer Packaging survey found Hain Celestial (Health Valley, Earth’s Best, and Westbrae Natural), ConAgra (Chef Boyardee, Hunt’s and Healthy Choice), and H.J. Heinz as the highest scoring companies with each receiving an A grade. General Mills received a B+ and Nestle received a B “for transparency, testing of substitute packaging and a commitment to eliminate BPA from packaging within 1-3 years.” (I was surprised to read that Nestle – maker of Purina Pet Food – told the Safer Packaging Survey they are committed to remove BPA from packaging in 1-3 years; Purina Pet Food has told me on numerous inquiries their canned pet foods are BPA free – opposite of what Nestle reported in this survey. Perhaps the numerous pet food representatives I’ve spoken with at Purina were mistaken or perhaps Purina canned pet foods are truly BPA free and ahead of the rest of Nestle products. I don’t know.)
Whole Foods scored a D+; Coca-Cola, Del Monte, Kraft and Wal-Mart all scored an F. “Most of these companies are exploring substitutes to BPA to some degree but do not commit to phasing out the chemical”. http://www.greencentury.com/bpareport
To my knowledge, the only pet food cans available as BPA free are small cans only and only from some manufacturers. Call or email your pet food manufacturer to inquire specifically if their cans (and what size) are BPA free. To learn more about BPA, click here and/or here.
Keep asking your pet food manufacturer (and human food manufacturers) the difficult questions; some are listening. Those that do listen and change their formulas, removing risk ingredients, deserve our business. Those that don’t listen…don’t deserve our business.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author, Buyer Beware
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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