"BPA-Free"

I'm sure that even if you have no idea what BPA is, you've seen this label before on plastic products and have come to the conclusion that it must be bad. This means that you have likely gravitated towards anything that says "BPA Free" just on principle. We all did the exact same thing when "No MSG" labels started coming out on food. In fact, I just checked and the water bottle I'm drinking out of says "BPA Free" right on the bottom.

So what is BPA and why is it bad for me?

BPA is the common shorthand for Bisphenol A, a type of plastic often used in can linings, baby bottles, microwavable containers, and other products. The problem is that BPA is an unstable polymer, which means it that at high temperatures, the bonds between parts of the molecule start to break and latch on to other molecules instead, they’re especially attracted to fat.

So let's reason this out. If I am melting cheese in a microwave safe container, these polymers are detaching from their previously stable solid state and are instead latching on to the fat naturally present in any type of dairy. This means that small amounts of BPA are frequently getting absorbed into our bodies through our food.

To make matters more uncomfortable, BPA has been linked, among others, with increased chances of breast and prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, infertility, and metabolic disfunction.

The thing is, avoiding BPA is one thing, but you should also be careful with the available alternatives. Many things that once tested as safe for human use, have been more recently linked to cancer or other conditions. As most government things go, the regulations regarding these products are slow to change. Formaldehyde, which is used to preserve the deceased, and phthalates, which are considered too toxic for children, are still both on the FDA’s approved list for food packaging.

So, the hard truth is that plastic is not the safest material to store or cook food with. You can go the difficult road and avoid plastic altogether, but plastic is too convenient and wide-spread for most of us to change over completely.

If plastic cannot be avoided, here are some safer alternatives.

Polyester is one example and is the most commonly seen plastic in our clothing. It is also used for making soda bottles and other liquid containers. The most stable plastic container available, meaning slowest to degrade and leech chemicals into your water or food, is silicone. A large number of cooking utensils have taken advantage of this by making their products out of silicone.

Another option is aluminum. The drawback to this is that it requires resin or a liner between the metal and its contents, so double check what type of liner each company uses in case their liner has toxic components. Oleoresin linings are made from a naturally occurring resin and oil compound harvested from pine and firs trees. So far, most safe BPA-free cans use this or a similar type of lining.

Tritan Copolyester, used in nalgene bottles and camelbacks, is fairly new to the market and so far appears to be a safer alternative than other plastics. The uncertainty is that all safety testing has been done “in house,” so more research conducted by independents is needed.

Stainless steel is relatively good, since it is mostly inert, but there is a small amount of transfer for those who have serious nickel allergies.

Glass is the safest material for storing food, since it does not leech at all, but it is also harder to find and less convenient for carrying home than the lighter plastic options.

It is impossible to avoid everything that is bad for you, but taking the first step to inform yourself can help you make better choices.