Good Eats - From the Garden to Your Table.

Last week, you probably noticed "BPA" in the headlines—again. The reason this time? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reevaluated its stance on bisphenol A (BPA), a hormone-like chemical found in plastic bottles, cans, and other food containers. Though stories about the safety of BPA have circulated through the news for years, this announcement is particularly noteworthy because for the first time the FDA is saying that it no longer endorses the chemical as completely safe.

The FDA's modified stance came after recent tests conducted by the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health produced "some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children." This is potentially scary news, as exposure to BPA results primarily through containers used to store, cook, and transport foods and beverages.

So you're probably asking yourself: what products are packaged with materials that contain BPA? The most common shopping items that contain the chemical are canned goods. Canned soup and vegetables are packaged with an interior lining that contains BPA. Canned infant formula is packaged this way as well, and since studies have shown that BPA may be particularly unsafe for infants, you should be aware of this if you or a loved one is caring for a little one.

In addition, plastic containers marked with either recycling number 3 or 7 may contain BPA. Common items with those markings include food storage containers and water bottles. If you are using a plastic container with one of those numbers, do not use it to reheat food, as some studies have shown the chemicals may leach out of the plastic at high temperatures.

Questions about the safety of BPA date back to its creation in 1930 as a synthetic estrogen, and in subsequent years it has been linked to various cancers. The FDA's current stance on BPA's effect on teens and adults remains that this population's body systems are fully developed and thus able to adequately process the chemical. In order to fully clarify this issue, the FDA is pursuing additional studies, seeking public input, and input from other expert agencies.

These latest reports will likely cause even more doubts among consumers about the safety of BPA. Look for food manufacturers to make swift changes in their packaging to remove the chemical and label their products to that effect. If you don't see a BPA-free label, it's safe to assume that the canned soup or vegetables contain the chemical.

In the meantime, my recommendation is to avoid plastic packaging; if that's not possible, buy foods packaged in plastics adorned with the recycling numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6, as those containers do not contain BPA. And, of course, stainless steel containers, Tetra Paks (for milk and other dairy products), and glass bottles are BPA-free.

Have questions, comments or ideas for a future Supermarket Guru column? Send Phil a message at plempert@supermarketguru.com.