Beginning Wednesday, Californians started seeing new warnings about a chemical, Bisphenol A, when they buy food at the grocery store.
Known as BPA, it has long been used in a wide variety of products, including the linings of food and beverage cans and bottle and jar lids to extend shelf life and prevent bacterial contamination. In recent years, however, questions have come up about BPA’s potential toxicity. The Legislature passed a law in 2011 banning BPA in bottles or cups designed for use by children 3 years or younger.
The new warnings are required by Proposition 65, the 1986 measure intended to ensure that Californians are informed about potential exposure to chemicals that the state has determined cause “cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.”…