In the past, plastic was thought of as an inert substance. Now we know that plastic chemicals can and do leach from plastic containers, thereby contaminating the foods and beverages they hold.

    Among the most hazardous of these chemicals known to date are bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates, both of which mimic hormones in your body. Even tiny concentrations can cause problems, and you’re likely being exposed from a wide variety of sources.

    Aside from canned goods, they’re found in reusable food containers, plastic wraps, water bottles, personal care products-you name it. In response to consumer demand for BPA-free products, many manufacturers have switched to using a different chemical called bisphenol-S (BPS).

    Alas, BPS appears to be just as toxic, if not more so, than BPA… A Mother Jones report1 published earlier this year accused the plastics industry with using a tobacco-style campaign to bury findings linking their products with health problems. More recently, Scientific American2 noted that:

        "BPS was a favored replacement because it was thought to be more resistant to leaching. If people consumed less of the chemical, the idea went, it would not cause any or only minimal harm.

        Yet BPS is getting out. Nearly 81 percent of Americans have detectable levels of BPS in their urine. And once it enters the body it can affect cells in ways that parallel BPA."