Bisphenol-a Manufacturers Switch to Fear Inducing Strategy

June 2, 2009 by Alicia
Filed under Bisphenol-a, Buzz, Toxic Chemicals

pregnancy-with-a-frown-1 Beware the upcoming marketing campaign depicting a desperately concerned pregnant mommy warning you about the impending disappearance of canned foods.

Save BPA – it’s not that harmful! What about the moms who don’t have time to grow their own food and prepare it without the help of cans lined with BPA?!

Who are the fear mongerers now? We were the ones “propagating unnecessary fear” just a few short years ago – that is until science bolstered our basis of concern. Now the chemical industry is backed into a corner by the very people who supply the largest portion of their bank accounts – young mothers ages 21-35.

So how did all of this hoopla come into full public view? The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Washington Post obtained the internal notes of a meeting held by manufacturers of cans for beverages and foods. The Washington Post was able to confirm the accuracy of the notes via Kathleen M. Roberts, a lobbyist with Bergeson and Campbell for the North American Metal Packaging Alliance (NAMPA).

Even more amazing, Ms. Roberts said the NAMPA members are concerned about bills pending in state legislatures as well as on Capitol Hill that would restrict or eliminate the use of BPA in metal cans. She also confirmed that the chemical industry is still holding onto that same tired argument,

BPA is a safe compound that has been tarred by activist groups and that consumers do not fully appreciate its importance.

Safer States said in their coverage of the situation that the chemistry industry routinely implies that no such chemical exists. But, the Post points out, that’s not true.

A commercial alternative to BPA does exist; Japan has significantly reduced its use of BPA in many canned goods. Roberts acknowledged that alternatives are available but not for all uses currently in the marketplace.

Wow. Can we please stop dancing around the issue and get down to business? How about opting to spend your pro-BPA advertising dollars on a new market test? Why not offer a BPA-free can option and gauge the public’s reaction? I would personally pay a pretty penny more for a safe alternative. And in talking to 100’s of those 21-35 year old mothers you’re so interested in, I’m confident in predicting that they would do exactly the same. And just think, they would be gaining something even more important than our money in the process too – our trust.

Have a look at what other blogging moms have to say about this nonsense:

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Tags: Bisphenol-a, BPA, Chemical Industry, Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

realgreengirl

for another rant on this BPA article see this green blog:
www.realgreengirl.blogspot.com/2009/05/bpa-indu...

it's outrageous.

Joanie

Thank you for decipering this issue for all of us! I really appreciate that there is someone out there willing to speak the truth and not let these companies go unchecked with their deceitful tactics and manipulation. Way to go!

Jen

It's hard not eating canned food but with being pregnant, I feel it's especially necessary...afterall even if I don't eat canned food at home I'm sure that when I eat out their food comes in cans.

Lisa

What a great article. Shame on NAMPA, struggling to keep doing it like they always have instead of investing in the future of our country through new technology, When will these big companies stop creating so much fear and admit when they can/should innovate??