10WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG OCTOBER 25, 2010

NEWS OF THE WEEK

FOOD COMPANIES are making notable progress in replacing the bisphenol A (BPA) used to make ep-oxy can linings, according to a new report by Green

Century Capital Management, an advisory firm focused on environmentally re-sponsible investing, and As You Sow, a shareholder advocacy group.

Consumers and re-searchers have raised concerns about possible health effects of BPA, which can migrate into food from epoxy resin can liners (C&EN, July 20, 2009, page 28). The report’s authors say that a consumer backlash

against BPA poses a risk to shareholder value and brand reputations but that firms are taking action. Half of the food companies responding to a survey for the report have a plan to phase out the use of BPA, compared with only 21% in 2009.

Overall, three firms—Hain Celestial, ConAgra, and H. J. Heinz—received a grade of A for their efforts to remove BPA from their products. Each has begun us-ing non-BPA can linings in some products. Of the 22 firms that responded to the survey, 18 are exploring substitutes and 11 have committed to phasing out BPA. Six companies are disclosing their BPA actions to the public. Four companies didn’t respond.

Although several firms said they rely on their sup-pliers to make changes to food packaging, the report commends ConAgra and Campbell Soup for “extensive testing processes for BPA-free can linings.” Yet the firms’ efforts still lack transparency, says report author Emily Stone of Green Century. “The companies are tight-lipped about the substitutes they are testing,” she says. “We don’t want companies introducing new ma-terials that could pose risks.”

In addition to consumer pressure, food makers face increased regulatory action on BPA. Earlier this month, Environment Canada designated BPA as toxic (C&EN, Oct. 18, page 22). But the American Chemistry Council, a U.S. chemical industry trade group, counters that BPA is safe to use in food-contact applications.—MELODY VOITH

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA has named 10 people as winners of the National Medal of Sci-ence and three people and one team as winners

of the National Medal of Technology & Innovation for 2010. The medals are the highest honor bestowed on

scientists and engineers by the U.S. government. The recipients will receive their medals at a White House ceremony later this year.

The annual awards are admin-istered by the White House and the National Science Foundation, and the nominees are selected by a committee of distinguished presi-dential appointees.

“The extraordinary accomplish-ments of these scientists, engineers, and inventors are a testament to American industry and ingenuity,”

Obama said in announcing the awards. “It is my tremen-dous pleasure to honor them.”

Included among this year’s award recipients are a number of chemists and chemical engineers. Among them is Helen M. Free, who served as president of ACS in 1993 and whose work on dip-and-read diagnostic strips was named a National Historic Chemical Landmark this year (C&EN, May 24, page 41). —DAVID HANSON

Undated photograph of Helen and Alfred Free at work in Miles Laboratories, in Elkhart, Ind.

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CAN PLANS Survey grades food companies

in BPA phaseout activity

SEEKING ALTERNATIVES

PLANNING PHASEOUT

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Hain Celestial A A AConAgra A A B+H. J. Heinz A A B+General Mills A C B+Nestle C A B+

NOTE: Top five of 22 food company respondents.SOURCE: Green Century Capital Management

NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE Yakir Aharonov, Chapman University; Stephen J. Benkovic, Pennsylvania State University; Esther M. Conwell, University of Rochester; Marye Anne Fox, University of California, San Diego; Susan L. Lindquist, Whitehead Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Mortimer Mishkin, National Institutes of Health; David B. Mumford, Brown University; Stanley B. Prusiner, University of California, San Francisco; Warren M. Washington, National Center for Atmospheric Research; Amnon Yariv, California Institute of Technology

NATIONAL MEDAL OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION Individuals Harry W. Coover, Eastman Chemical Co.; Helen M. Free, Miles Laboratories; Steven J. Sasson, Eastman Kodak Co.

Team Federico Faggin, Marcian E. Hoff Jr., Stanley Mazor; Intel Corp.

PRESIDENT AWARDS SCIENCE MEDALS

AWARDS: Winners of the National Medals of Science and of Technology

& Innovation are chosen

REMOVING BISPHENOL A

CANNED FOODS: Many companies plan to phase out use of chemical in

product containers, survey finds