Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that bans the toxic chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, from baby bottles and sippy cups, making California the eleventh state to restrict BPA in infant feeding products. The new law represents yet another step in the governmental and market movement away from this synthetic estrogen linked to breast cancer and other serious health problems.

“Getting BPA out of baby bottles and sippy cups is an important first step in removing this toxic chemical from our food packaging,” said Gretchen Lee Salter, policy manager at the Breast Cancer Fund.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Betsy Butler, D-Torrance, and Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Santa Monica, was modeled on similar BPA bills that the legislature failed to pass in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and that have been supported by the Breast Cancer Fund, Environmental Working Group, Physicians for Social Responsibility-L.A. and Consumers’ Union. The legislation is a response to mounting scientific evidence that exposure to even extremely low levels of BPA can negatively impact health. More than 200 scientific studies show that BPA exposure is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects, including breast and prostate cancer, birth defects, infertility in men, early puberty in girls, diabetes and obesity. The primary route of exposure is through the leaching of BPA from food and beverage containers. Once in food, BPA moves quickly into the body.

“BPA has no place in baby bottles, and it also doesn’t belong in any of our food containers,” said Salter. “We need to demand that manufacturers get BPA out of food cans. That’s the goal of the Breast Cancer Fund’s Cans Not Cancer campaign.” Learn more about the campaign at www.breastcancerfund.org/cansnotcancer.

A new report released today by the Breast Cancer Fund documents the presence of the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in canned foods marketed to children. Every food sample tested positive for the chemical, with Campbell’s Disney Princess and Toy Story soups testing the highest.

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 is of concern because this endocrine-disrupting chemical can affect children’s hormonal systems during development and set the stage for later?life diseases.

“There should be no place for toxic chemicals linked to breast cancer and other serious health problems in our children’s food,” said Jeanne Rizzo, president and CEO of the Breast Cancer Fund.  “We hope this report will shine a spotlight on this issue and encourage companies to seek safer alternatives to BPA.”

The new report, “BPA in Kids’ Canned Food,” found BPA in the following canned food products (levels measured in parts per billion, or ppb, average of two samples):

• Campbell’s Disney Princess Cool Shapes, Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth, 114 ppb
• Campbell’s Toy Story Fun Shapes, Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth, 81 ppb
• Earth’s Best Organic Elmo Noodlemania Soup, USDA Organic, 38 ppb
• Annie’s Homegrown Cheesy Ravioli, USDA Organic, 31 ppb
• Chef Boyardee Whole Grain Pasta, Mini ABC’s & 123′s with Meatballs, 20 ppb
• Campbell’s Spaghettios with Meatballs, 13 ppb

“In all of these products—but particularly in the Campbell’s Disney Princess and Toy Story soups—a child-sized serving could result in BPA exposure at a level of concern,” said Gretchen Lee Salter, Policy Manager at the Breast Cancer Fund. “Consider the number of servings of canned foods—soups, pastas, vegetables, fruits—that a child eats in a week, in a year, and then throughout her developing years, and you start to see the urgency of getting BPA out of food cans.”

“This report shows the that we’re all part of a big experiment to see what BPA will do to our kids and us,” said William Goodson, M.D., a breast cancer surgeon and Senior Clinical Research Scientists at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, who just last week published a study showing that BPA causes non-cancerous cells to grow and survive like cancer cells. “We weren’t given any choice about being in this experiment, and it’s time for that to change.”

Research has also uncovered a relationship between household income and BPA exposure, showing that people with the highest BPA exposure are from the lowest income groups. This data may be attributed to the fact that canned foods are usually cheaper, last longer and are more readily available in low-income neighborhoods than fresh foods.

In response to these findings, the Breast Cancer Fund is launching a “Cans Not Cancer” campaign, urging manufacturers to replace BPA with safer alternatives. Sample consumer letters to Campbell’s and other companies highlighted in this report can be found at www.breastcancerfund.org/cansnotcancer.

“Every day, children are being exposed to BPA through canned foods marketed to them using slick advertising and their favorite characters,” said Salter. “The Breast Cancer Fund’s Cans Not Cancer campaign is about our health, our children’s health, and a safer future where breast cancer rates have dropped because we’ve reduced our exposure to toxic chemicals.”

Some canned food companies are already switching to a BPA-free can liner or changing their food packaging altogether. Eden Foods, for example, uses an oleoresinous c-enamel, which is a mixture of an oil and a resin extracted from plants, for some of its canned foods. While some other companies say they are using BPA alternatives, they are not transparent about the alternatives they are using.

At the public policy level, 10 states have restricted BPA in infant food containers. While these laws do not cover the kinds of canned foods tested in this study, they send a strong signal to the marketplace that states are taking action to protect children from harmful chemicals in food packaging. In addition the Breast Cancer Fund is supporting pending federal legislation authored by Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., that would ban BPA from all food and beverage containers.

The “BPA in Kids’ Canned Food” report also lists a number of convenient alternatives parents can use in place of canned food including dry or frozen pasta, boxed macaroni and cheese, soups in Tetra Paks (70 percent paperboard combined with thin layers of low density polyethylene and aluminum foil) and frozen or fresh fruits.

The report can be downloaded at www.breastcancerfund.org/bpakids.

The Chemical-free Lavanila Baby Collection… You lock away cleaning products for fear of baby getting a hold of the chemicals, but what about your beauty products? Many personal care products are formulated with more chemicals than most people realize. In fact, every day, children are exposed to an average of 27 personal care ingredients that have not been found safe for kids (Environmental Working Group 2007). This is why Lavanila Laboratories has created the 100% natural, chemical-free Baby Collection.

Healthy Baby Wash ($16): This 100% natural two-in-one shampoo and body wash gently cleanses without stripping skin of essential moisture.

Healthy Baby Lotion ($15): Providing daily nourishment and hydration, this weightless, fast-absorbing lotion strengthens and supports the development of healthy skin with 30 vitamins and minerals.

Healthy Baby Bottom ($15): Developed to calm irritation and soothe redness, this 100% natural formula provides superior protection and prevention of diaper rash with natural zinc oxide instead of petrolatum, a harsh chemical derived from oil wells during gasoline production.

Healthy Baby Butter ($14): Providing ultra-rich hydration to soothe dry skin and calm redness, this 100% natural nourishing butter is formulated with 30 vitamins and minerals selected to strengthen and support the development of healthy skin.

Healthy Baby Block ($20): Combining titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, this chemical-free, healthy sunscreen protects delicate skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays to provide 100% natural SPF 40 protection.

The Lavanila Baby Collection can be purchased at Sephora/Sephora.com

National Whole Grains Month in September provides a timely opportunity for parents and caregivers to recalibrate what they send in their children’s lunches as they head back to school. Eating whole grains can help maintain a healthy weight, lower cholesterol, and help reduce the risk of several chronic diseases including Type 2 diabetes. Yet, 4 in 10 Americans don’t eat any whole grains at all.

“School age children should eat three ounces, or three servings, of foods containing whole grains every day,” says Amy Moyer, MPH, RD of Action for Healthy Kids. “Eating one slice of whole-grain bread, a half-cup cooked brown rice and a cup of whole-grain cereal gets your kid to this goal – and there are many creative and easy ways to help your child be a whole-grain goal-getter.”

Moyer emphasizes that parents should use sharp eyes when at the grocery store. “Product labels can be confusing. It’s important to read the labels, and to buy products where the first ingredient is whole grain. Just because bread is brown or is called ‘whole wheat’ or ‘9-grain’ doesn’t make it whole grain. If bread feels heavy, it doesn’t mean it’s hearty! And crackers looking grainy or nutty aren’t always so.”

Helping children eat more whole grains is simple. As a rule of thumb, the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines suggest trying to substitute whole grains for about half of the grains you or your children eat.

Action for Healthy Kids provides these 10 tasty tips for kid-friendly and nutritious snacks and lunches.

1. Buy products whose first ingredient is whole grain, such as ‘whole-wheat’ or ‘whole-grain’ corn. Other whole grains include oats, barley, wild rice, brown rice, and graham.

2. Use only 100% whole-grain bread and tortillas for sandwiches and wraps. If hesitant, give whole-grain white bread a try first.

3. Snack on whole-grain cereal with low-fat/fat-free milk.

4. Make a whole-grain breakfast burrito by slicing a banana length-wise, then rolling it with yogurt or peanut butter in a whole-grain pancake.

5. Top low-fat yogurt with a generous sprinkling of oats, or layer with yogurt, oats and strawberries to make a fun parfait.

6. Snack on baked tortilla chips with chunky salsa – the corn is whole-grain! Add a sprinkle of shredded cheese for a nutritionally sound treat.

7. Fill whole-grain pita bread with your favorite lunchmeat and vegetables, or with hummus and cucumbers. Cut the pita into triangles and bake in the oven for easy pita chips.

8. Choose whole-wheat crust for pizza.

9. Make pasta salad using whole-grain pasta. If a gradual transition is needed, mix whole-grain pasta with regular pasta, increasing the whole-grain proportion over time.

10. Experiment with lesser-known whole grains such as amaranth, barley, or protein-packed quinoa. Perhaps you’ll find a new family favorite!

For more ideas on helping children boost nutrition by incorporating whole grains and other foods, visit www.ActionforHealthyKids.org.

Best Food for Your Baby & Toddler by Jeannette Bessinger and Tracee Yablon-Brenner –From First Foods to Meals Your Child Will Love aims at reversing the trend of childhood obesity by cultivating the baby’s palate to crave tasty/healthy foods. The recipes have all been child-tested and approved, and are eminently practical b/c they can be prepared in 15 mins.

The book teaches parents how to select the right food, set up a pantry (with a guide to key kitchen equipment), establish smart eating routines, and introduce a wide variety of tastes and textures. It also explores today’s most pressing nutrition issues: Should you buy only organic food? Is it healthy to restrict a toddler’s calorie intake? Is a vegetarian diet good for a very young child? Additional resources include information on breastfeeding and food allergies, as well as a comprehensive listing of whole foods companies and products that make healthy eating faster and easier.

While this book has many great recipes, it is much more than that. It is really a guide book– one that helps navigate the pitfalls of processed, non-nutritious, unhealthy foods that abound today, and instead find REAL foods that your baby/toddler will love. It doesn’t have to be all hotdogs with mac & cheese…

The book is full of information on developmental nutrition, healthy food alternatives, and age-appropriate guidelines for what to introduce and when to introduce it. This book is full of creative ideas and is a great guide for new parents (or even experienced ones). It is not preachy, and it is backed by science. Kind of like a “Food Rules” for the under three-year-old set. If you follow this book’s advice, you will be giving your child a gift that is far more precious than any toy or blanket. You will be giving the gift of good health.

Available at Amazon.com

Hearts are the traditional symbol of Valentine’s Day. Action for Healthy Kids believes that this heart-filled holiday presents a perfect opportunity to teach children habits that will help keep their hearts healthy for life.

Action for Healthy Kids works with schools and families to help children learn to eat right, be active every day and be ready to learn. They give these tips for celebrating a healthier February 14th:

Celebrate healthy hearts throughout the day:

· For breakfast, add frozen raspberries to hot oatmeal for a pink bowl of heart-healthy goodness. Or, make heart-shaped buckwheat pancakes topped with strawberry yogurt.

· A whole wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese makes the perfect mid-morning snack. For extra zing, dot with dried cherries or cranberries.

· Surprise kids with heart-shaped sandwiches. Use a large heart cookie-cutter to shape whole-grain bread. Include slices of red bell pepper and grape tomatoes on the side.

· The entire family will love a heart-healthy dinner. Serve whole-grain pasta with a festive red tomato sauce; add a can of tomato paste to the sauce for an extra nutrient boost. Or, broil heart-healthy salmon and top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

Use classroom parties to demonstrate that celebrations can still be healthy:

· Model nutritional balance. Offer low-fat milk, water and fresh fruit alongside Valentine’s Day treats.

· Teach moderation. Offer one Valentine’s Day treat per student, rather than a buffet of sweets.

· Offer healthier, yet tasty, options. Have kids top graham crackers with vanilla yogurt and fresh strawberries. Offer strawberry applesauce. Make pink, yogurt-based fruit smoothies served in kid-decorated cups.

· Get moving! Clear the desks and hold four-legged races, play musical chairs, or dance to some hip tunes.

· End the party with a heart-healthy stress reducer. Invite a parent to teach basic yoga moves, or simply lead students in deep breathing exercises.

About Action for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids® is the nation’s leading nonprofit and largest volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment by working with schools to improve nutrition and physical activity to help our kids learn to eat right, be active every day and be ready to learn. We provide expertise, volunteers, programs and resources nationwide through a unique collaboration of thousands of professionals, parents, educators, community volunteers and students, in partnership with more than 65 professional associations, government agencies and corporations. More information is available at ActionforHealthyKids.org.