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March 5, 2009
For Immediate Release

Physically impossible for a human to consume enough soft drinks to pose a BPA risk

Toronto, Ontario – The Canadian Beverage Industry says that results of Health Canada’s recent testing for bisphenol A (BPA) in canned soft drinks clearly underscores the safety of its beverages and packaging.

“This is cut and dry. The results of Health Canada’s recent testing clearly shows that there is no health risk to consumers from the extremely minute exposure to BPA from soft drinks and energy drinks in cans,” said Justin Sherwood, President of Refreshments Canada. “In fact, to put the study results into perspective, a 60kg individual would have to consume more than 7,400 355ml cans a day on a daily basis for the rest of his or her life – in order to exceed Health Canada’s acceptable daily limit. Obviously, that’s just not possible.”

Health Canada concluded that migration of BPA from can coatings is negligible, and the dietary intake of BPA from soft drinks is much lower than the acceptable daily limit established by Health Canada. “With BPA levels that are up to almost 130,000 times lower than the tolerable daily intake set by Health Canada, consumers can enjoy a refreshing beverage without concern,” said Sherwood.

BPA is a chemical used safely around the globe in a variety of products, including metal food packaging, medical devices, sports equipment, dental sealants and compact disc covers. BPA is a component used for making the epoxy liner used in virtually all food and beverage cans to ensure the safety of the contents. While a minute amount of BPA is used in these linings, the heat curing process and conditions of aluminum can manufacturing virtually eliminate the presence of BPA. The present consensus among regulatory agencies in Canada, Europe, Japan and the United States is that current levels of exposure to BPA through beverage packaging do not pose a health risk to the general population, including children and infants.

“The beverage industry provides a myriad of packaging choices from plastic and glass bottles to aluminum cans and tetra-pack,” said Sherwood. “All options – whether bottle or can – provide consumers with access to safe, convenient and refreshing beverage choices.”

The Canadian beverage industry’s top priority is to ensure the quality and safety of its products and packaging through rigorous standards that meet or exceed government requirements, and ongoing testing.

For more information contact:

Justin Sherwood
President, Refreshments Canada
justin@refreshments.ca

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