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Showing posts from March, 2018

BPA (Bisphenol A) and Register Receipts

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Trader Joe's recently announced that it will begin replacing paper used for register receipts with alternatives that are free of the chemicals BPA and BPS. BPA is a chemical that is used to make a hard, clear plastic called polycarbonate.  It is also used as a color developer in thermal paper used for cash register receipts and to make the protective lining inside metal food and beverage cans. BPA mimics what the hormone estrogen does in the human body and interferes with healthy hormonal behavior.  For this reason, BPA is called an endocrine disruptor.  BPS is a chemical with similar functions to BPA and was used to replace BPA in many products as a potentially safe alternative to BPA.  Unfortunately, studies of BPS have shown that it has similar estrogen-mimicking and endocrine disrupting properties to BPA. Popular news articles regarding BPA and BPS in register receipts in grocery stores, restaurants, and other retail outlets have raised concerns about how much exposur