It’s always rewarding to see a company respond to public pressure, especially a campaign you yourself have participated in, no matter how small the contribution. I often wonder if signing online petitions does any good, but in this case, I have to say yes!

Campbells Soup has announced that it will begin phasing out BPA from the lining of their cans.

Last fall, Healthy Child Healthy World reported on the Breast Cancer Fund research that found BPA in Campbells products marketed to children.

Now the Breast Cancer Fund has uncovered the presence of BPA in these canned foods marketed directly to young kids in our report released yesterday, BPA in Kids’ Canned Food. We tested 12 canned food items—two cans of each of six canned meal products—marketed to and largely consumed by children, including:

• Annie’s Homegrown Cheesy Ravioli
• Campbell’s Disney Princess Cool Shapes, Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth
• Campbell’s Spaghettios with Meatballs
• Campbell’s Toy Story Fun Shapes, Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth
• Chef Boyardee Whole Grain Pasta, Mini ABC’s & 123’s with Meatballs
• Earth’s Best Organic Elmo Noodlemania Soup

Every food sample tested positive for BPA, with Campbell’s Disney Princess and Toy Story soups testing the highest. Find all our test results here.

We don’t eat Campbell’s products, but Annie’s and Earth’s Best have graced our pantry shelves at different times, although not the canned versions  I find it especially disturbing these “natural” and “organic” brands use toxic cans, but they are not alone.  Many organic canned foods have BPA linings; that’s why I only buy Eden.

The good news is Campbell’s has decided to go BPA-Free.  Environment News Service reports:

Months of pressure from consumer, public health and concerned parents’ organizations worried about the health effects of the chemical bisphenol A in canned food linings are having an impact on the Campbell’s Soup Company. The New Jersey company says it has begun to phase out the use of the chemical in its cans.

Exposure to BPA, used to make the epoxy-resin linings of metal food cans, has been linked in lab studies to breast and prostate cancer, infertility, early puberty in girls, type-2 diabetes, obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Childhood exposure worries parents because this endocrine-disrupting chemical can affect children’s hormonal systems during development and set the stage for later-life diseases.

At a February 22 shareholder meeting, Campbell’s Chief Financial Officer Craig Owens reported that the shift to BPA-free cans has begun and could be accomplished without major cost to the company.

Over 70,000 letters were sent to Campbell’s asking the company to stop using BPA lined cans. Maybe now they can do something about their ingredients.

Truth in Labeling explains how Campbell’s hides MSG in its products. In fact MSG labeling started a soup war almost three years ago.  Campbell’s explanation is:

How do I know if my Campbell product contains MSG?

MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate, is an ingredient that adds savory taste to foods. Its been used safely for more than a century. MSG is a common flavor enhancer added by chefs and food manufacturers alike. Glutamate, a component of MSG, occurs naturally in some vegetables and processed ingredients, such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein and yeast extract. Foods containing MSG will note it clearly in the ingredient statement on our product labels. People who prefer to eat foods without added MSG can look at a number of options in our portfolio, including our full lines of Campbell’s Select Harvest^®soups, Campbell’s Healthy Request^® condensed soups, Campbell’s V8^® soups andCampbell’s^® condensed Kids soups. We also do not add MSG to our Swanson^®Chicken broth.

And it is not just MSG to be concerned about.  High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is also present in many Campbell’s products.  Spilled Ingredients sums it up well why should you avoid Campbell’s, BPA or not:

Allow me to do you a favor by encouraging you to live a Campbell’s-free life, starting today without looking back. The American *comfort food* in the red and white labeled can isn’t so much made of food, as it is MSG and high fructose corn syrup. MSG and HFCS=very bad. Together they mess with the mind and body, since they’re chemicals, NOT FOOD.  I mean, do you want to pound some Windex too?  Might as well, if in moderation, of course.

Bottom line. Campbell’s does not have your best interests in mind. They can chemicals which excite your taste buds and damage your nerves. They get paid to do so.

I do applaud Campbell’s efforts to respond to consumers and remove BPA from their cans. That is a great first step. Now, they need to clean up their ingredients.

We still won’t be supporting Campbell’s. I’d rather make soup in my slow cooker.