Enjoy the Holiday Season – and Your Leftovers – with Peace of Mind

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are getting cooler, which means that the holiday season is upon us. As families and friends get ready to attend potlucks and parties and pack up the many leftovers, you may have some questions about media reports and articles on the internet that claim concerns about food packaging and food storage products containing BPA.

But during the holiday season, with so many other sources of stress, you can rest easy knowing that BPA has been widely studied for safety by researchers and government agencies around the world, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Food Safety Authority, Health Canada and others. These experts have determined BPA to be safe for use in products that contact our foods.

BPA is a building block chemical used to make epoxy resins and strong, clear polycarbonate plastic—a highly shatter-resistant material found in many products we use every day. In fact, these materials are important components of food packaging and containers that help to preserve the food’s quality, flavor and safety.

• Epoxy linings create a protective barrier in metal containers to prevent canned foods from becoming spoiled or contaminated with bacteria or rust, especially when intended for acidic foods like tomatoes or cranberry sauce.
• Strong, shatter-resistant polycarbonate plastic provides durable and temperature-resistant containers that are reusable and help keep food fresh, so you can enjoy your leftovers after your guests have gone home!

BPA may be a component in the plastic containers you use to store your holiday leftovers, or from the food’s original packaging, but your exposure to BPA is still incredibly low – you would need to eat more than 500 pounds of food packaged in containers that contain BPA in a single day to exceed the safe intake level set by U.S. government agencies based on review of the extensive scientific safety data on BPA. Plus, the small amount of BPA we do ingest is quickly eliminated from our bodies, and there are no risks of health effects at this level of exposure.

So this holiday season, don’t stress about BPA and take comfort in your comfort food.