Coca-Cola Shareholders Demand Answers on BPA in Packaging
Coca-Cola, the number one selling brand of soft drinks in the world, is under pressure to publicize a plan of action over shareholder concerns about bisephenol A (BPA), a toxin found in plastic bottles and aluminum can linings, which make up a core market segment of the manufacturer’s soda offerings.
Despite Coca-Cola’s foray into an alternative plastic with its eco-friendly PlantBottle, several shareholder advocacy groups including As You Sow, Domini Social Investments and Trillium Asset Management Corporation will introduce the resolution in Atlanta this week at an annual company meeting.
As You Sow senior program director Michael Passoff told the website, FoodProductionDaily.com, that “Coca-Cola has failed year after year to provide investors or consumers with sufficient evidence that it is taking steps to address these very serious public health concerns.” The group says that the risks BPA poses through products and packaging is also a competitive risk to Coca-Cola because of the heightened public concern, and the company needs to issue a report to shareholders addressing how it will respond to the problem.
BPA is a hot button issue for many consumers and advocacy groups in America. Found in many types of plastics, including baby bottles, aluminum can linings and even in register receipts, the chemical is banned in Europe. Several recent studies have shown the chemical to be a harmful endocrine disruptor, linked to hormonal damage and other serious health risks, which includes certain types of cancer.
Despite the growing number of studies linking health issues to BPA exposure, the food packaging industry finds support in regulatory agencies including the FDA, who says the chemical poses no major health threats to humans.
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