Wattie’s to phase out BPA in baby food packaging
2010-07-09
Wattie’s is working in conjunction with Heinz Australia, and will be moving to BPA-free packaging for baby food products, with canned baby foods to be its first priority.
While international and New Zealand food authorities have declared BPA in food packaging completely safe, Heinz Wattie’s acknowledges a level of consumer concern about BPA in baby food packaging by introducing this voluntary phase out.
Wattie’s has been New Zealand’s leading and most trusted brand of baby food for more than 50 years and continues to listen and respond to the needs of its customers.
While it believes there is no risk to consumers, we are keen to allay any concern and so we have opted to remove BPA from all baby food packaging. The phase out has already begun.
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s principal toxicologist John Reeve has said the authority had been monitoring ongoing research into Bisphenol A (BPA), and “the levels to which New Zealanders are exposed in the diet are not a concern.”
In addition, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has concluded that the “levels [of BPA in food packaging] do not pose a risk to public health for any age group”, and similarly the USFDA has advised that “the benefit of a stable source of good nutrition outweighs the potential risk from BPA exposure”.
Any customers seeking information can contact Heinz Wattie’s on 0800 222 936.
The Heinz Australia statement can be found at:
http://www.heinz.com.au/Corporate/CompanyNews.aspx?releaseID=40
