ZRecs has formally partnered with Safer Cans, a campaign to get BPA out of metal food packaging like soft drinks and food containers. The impact of BPA from food packaging is profound, particularly in comparison with some products consumers are extremely sensitized to - we have mentioned in past reporting on SIGG, for example, that levels of leaching from their bottles are far less than that found in canned food, which can contain up to 350 times the amount of BPA at the point of consumption, thanks to the near-universal coating of cans with a BPA-containing epoxy lining.

One company, Eden Foods, uses a non-epoxy-based coating for their canned beans. Many cite this as a sign of progress in the industry, and it is certainly a bright spot. But it's the exceptionalism of this case that tells the real story. The can lining is applied to Ball cans for Eden by the Ball Corporation, their can supplier, but the cans are available to any food company that wanted to buy them from Ball (Eden pays about 14 cents extra per can) and the material used to coat the cans is available to any canning company that wanted to line a can with it - the material has been around for decades.

Eden Foods is a small company. But they're using BPA-free packaging when they can, pushing for a BPA-free alternative for their higher-acid products, and setting a transparent and progressive example that no other company has yet been willing to follow.

The real question is, why are they alone in taking the simple steps that are available, and why are they the only voice openly calling for new materials?

The North American Metal Packaging Alliance has taken a hard-line stance against BPA reform, and made a name for itself with some unfortunate backroom planning. Their goal is to ensure that metal packaging companies "stay on the same page" as far as their interests are concerned, on the theory that a threat to one is a threat to all.

Until the Environmental Working Group got a timeline-free commitment from Coke to work on developing alternatives to BPA linings in its soft drink cans, the issue of BPA in metal packaging appeared to be deadlocked. But in an economy with relatively free markets, nothing stands still. I'm not sure if there are many consumers who would switch from drinking their soft drink of choice to another brand in order to get a BPA-free can. (Who knows? Maybe there are.) But I bet many consumers would switch from one brand of beans, or soup, or tomatoes, to try an alternative that was actively advertised as BPA-free. There is competitive advantage to be gained in safer products, and sooner or later, someone is going to seek it out. Any major baby bottle company executive could tell you that - and wince over the market share they abandoned to new competition by their unwillingness to acknowledge the public's concerns about BPA.

We've had extensive discussions with organizers of the Safer Cans campaign and believe there's a useful role for us to play in information-gathering as well as reporting and consumer advocacy; based on the temperature of the water we'll be dipping into here, we'll be working far more on the former channel than the latter, conducting discussions with food company executives, industry analysts, environmental and consumer groups, and joining many others who are working to broker conversations that may not be happening as quickly or as frankly as they could be.

We will be reporting on progress only on an occasional basis, and generally deferring to the wishes of those who might prefer that some of these dealings not occur directly in the public eye. There's a reason peace talks don't offer media passes, and on this issue we're going to operate as changemakers first and journalists second. This means that although we'll enthusiastically bring readers news as we're able, our role in this issue will be a little different than the way we typically report on consumer safety issues.

You can support Safer Cans by displaying their badge on your own site, becoming a fan on Facebook, or following the campaign on Twitter.

If you work in the plastics industry, the metal packaging industry, or in any other company that has an interest in this issue, and we have not already contacted you, we'd love to speak with you. Feel free to call us at 979-220-0395 or email us at zrecsmedia [at] gmail [dot] com. Z Recommends aggressively protects confidential and anonymous sources and can provide references in this regard.