Plastic food containers have become ubiquitous in the supermarket. Some scientists have raised the alarm about bisphenol A (BPA) found in hard clear plastic and the linings in many metal cans for foods or beverages. BPA is known to mimic estrogen and is considered a hormone disrupter.
Because of the controversy, most baby bottles have been reformulated so they no longer contain BPA. Investigators now report, however, that many plastic food containers release estrogen-like compounds. The researchers bought 455 plastic products from chains such as Albertsons, Randalls, Target, WalMart, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
The containers were analyzed both as purchased and after being submitted to common stresses such as microwaves, dishwashers and ultraviolet light. According to the scientists, a large proportion of these products had estrogenic activity, even those that were specified BPA-free. This was especially likely when the containers had been subjected to stress. The investigators make a plea for the development and utilization of plastics that do not have estrogenic activity. Some of them are working on developing such compounds.
