Archived press release

Chemical Warning Over Tinned Food - Cans Contain Gender Bender Chemicals

9 April 1997

New research has shown that a food contaminant [1,2] derived from the lining of food cans can imitate a female hormone in mammals. The research, reported in the latest edition of Environmental Data Services (ENDS), shows that the chemical - bisphenol-A (BPA) -damages the reproductive system of experimental mice at levels similar to current human exposure.

It has already been shown that the food in many cans is contaminated with bisphenol-A [3], which is also used to make polycarbonate bottles, but the Government has failed to take any regulatory action. Friends of the Earth have called for the chemical to be banned from food packaging.

Globally, sperm counts are decreasing and testicular and breast cancers are increasing and there is an expanding body of evidence connecting gender bending chemicals such as bisphenol-A with these serious human health problems.

Dr Michael Warhurst, Pollution Campaigner with Friends of the Earth, and hormone disrupting chemicals expert [4] said:

"This gender bending chemical should not and need not be in our food - it is time for the Government to act and ban all uses of toxic Bisphenol-A in food packaging. Industry should act immediately to remove this toxic chemical from their products"

Friends of the Earth advises consumers to ask supermarkets whether their products are contaminated with bisphenol-A.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Bisphenol-A (BPA) is used in the linings of many metal cans and is also used to make

polycarbonate bottles. Further information on bisphenol-A and other hormone disrupting chemicals can be obtained from: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~mwarhurst/bisphenol.html

[3] Brotons, J. A. et al. 1995. Xenoestrogens released from lacquer coatings in food cans.Environ. Health Persp. 103: 608-612. Reported in ENDS Report 246, p3.

[4] Dr Warhurst has been working on hormone disrupting chemicals for 3 years, and has been running an internationally renowned web site on the subject for nearly two years(URL: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~mwarhurst/oestrogenic.html). He presented a paper on 'Oestrogens in Food Contact Materials' at a recent Society for Chemical Industry conference, and has published the following article and reports on this subject:

'An Environmental Assessment of Alkylphenol Ethoxylates and Alkylphenols'. A. Michael Warhurst (1995), Published jointly by Friends of the Earth Scotland and Friends of the Earth, January 1995.

'Sex chemicals: time for action'. A. Michael Warhurst (1995), Chemistry & Industry, 18,p756.

'Hormone Disrupting Compounds: A report by Friends of the Earth Scotland'. Richard Dixon, Liz Humphries and A. Michael Warhurst, (1996), Published by Friends of the Earth Scotland, June 1996.

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