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Can the Can

April 16, 2008

According to a new report from the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, dangerous levels of the toxic chemical bisphenol A are present in many infant formulas as a result of leaching from the formula cans. The side effects of BPA are linked to changes in testosterone levels and aggressive behavior. “BPA has also been shown to increase cancer-cell growth and affect hormone systems that guide much of the permanent development of infants’ breasts and prostates,” according to the EWG.

According to the International Formula Council, EWG’s report is inaccurate and the IFC stated that the levels of BPA detected were far below those approved by government safety authorities. But the EWG is claiming that those safety limits were defined a decade ago, and research since has called those levels into question.

According to the EWG, all manufacturers of infant formula use BPA as the coating for their cans: “It’s an industry standard, even with naturals, because [the cans] are recyclable,” EWG suggests that parents of infants who are no longer breast fed use powdered formulas that can be diluted with water and therefore contain five to six times less BPA.

Posted by NatalieGeary | Filed Under Dr Geary 

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