Campbell Soup Co. is reportedly ditching the use of Bisphenol A (BPA)-lined cans in packaging their products by the middle of 2017. The company's announcement came after they started using cans lined with acrylic or polyester materials this month.
Campbell Soup Co. had initially announced its intention to go BPA-free in February 2012, in response to consumer feedback. Today, the Camden, New Jersey-based company is on track to have 75 percent of its soup portfolio in a non-BPA lined cans by December 2016 and will continue to introduce linings made from acrylic or polyester materials across its portfolio in the United States and Canada through 2017, Food Production Daily notes.
According to Campbell Soup Co. senior program manager in packaging Mike Mulshine, the company have tested and conducted trials on various type of alternatives to BPA-lined cans and containers. And while they have found that acrylic and polyester materials are affordable options, Mulshine emphasized that the company's main priority is to ensure food safety and its taste, as per Philadelphia Business Journal.
Currently, Campbell Soup Co. has a range of products in packaging that does not use BPA such as cartons, PET bottles and pouches. As for the products that will be packaged in BPA-free containers, the company said in a statement on Monday that the list include Campbell's soups and gravies, Swanson broth and SpaghettiOs pasta, Time reports.
In addition, Campbell Soup Co. is also in the middle of testing alternatives to BPA coatings used in its other packaging such as aluminum cans used for V8 beverages. And the move is expected to be implemented by mid-2017.
Meanwhile, Campbell Soup Co.'s Simple Meals & Beverages president Mark Alexander explained why the company's transition into BPA-free packages has taken longer than expected and why it is not where it hoped to be when Campbell made its initial announcement four years ago.
Alexander said that there were three major reasons for those inquiries. And those were the technical challenge, the enormity of the task and last but not the least, financial priorities.
Speaking of BPA, this chemical compound is often found in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Its presence in food and drinks has been found to pose some health risks, especially in connection to diseases like diabetes, breast and prostate cancers.
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