*Food intolerance is another result, according to a 2014 study by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

In a 2011 study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, people who ate canned soup from the refrigerator over five days after opening increased toxic BPA in their urine by more than 1,000 percent, as compared with people who consumed fresh soup over five days. This was due to their exposure of BPA in the resin lining of the cans.

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE

Citizen outrage on a massive scale can play a role in making changes. The fact is that federal laws in regard to BPA and other chemical hazards are weak and outdated. The Toxic Substances Control Act is nearly 40 years old. Companies in the U.S. can sell and use chemicals without having to show that they are safe for human use. Protections against them only come after studies have been done and science has proven their dangers.

A positive ripple effect will ensue if enough people protest BPA and other chemicals. If the Food and Drug Administration revoked its approval of BPA as a food additive, it would compel companies to develop safer alternatives.

“We have to press the government to require that this chemical and all chemicals we use around our homes are shown to be safe,” says Sarah Vogel, Health Director of the Environmental Defense Fund, who recommends signing a petition at www.edf.org. She also wants people to press for action by urging their representatives in Congress and the Senate to support strong toxic chemicals reform.

*Change your shopping habits at the grocery store. Don’t buy canned beverages or foods. Don’t use polycarbonate plastics (marked with the number 7PC) for storing food or beverages, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or feeding and giving drinks to an infant or young child. Instead, look for recycle numbers 2, 4 and 5 that are deemed the safest. Avoid all plastic with a 3 or a 7 recycle code on the back or bottom.