Ms Kim Lazarski
Purchasing Adminstrative Assistant
National Cooperative Grocers Association

RE: BPA food packaging

Dear Kim,

Prior to answering the questions it needs to be mentioned that Eden Foods currently manufactures over 250 foods, 42 SKU's are packed in BPA free cans. The Ball Corporation tells us that Eden is the only U.S. food maker to date to use these BPA free cans, and we have been since April 1999.

The foods included unseasoned and seasoned North American Organic Beans, Chili, Rice & Beans, and Refried. The food is cooked in steel cans coated with a baked on oleoresinous c-enamel that does not contain the endocrine disrupter chemical, bisphenol-A (BPA).

1) Which, if any, of your company products use packaging that contains BPA. Please provide a product description and UPC number for each item.

Tomato products;

Crushed - 0 24182 01111 1 (28 oz) & 0 24182 01115 9 (15 oz)
Crushed w/Sweet Basil - 0 24182 01120 3 (28 oz) & 0 24182 01116 6 (15 oz)
Crushed w/Roasted Onions & Roasted Garlic - 0 24182 01121 0 (15 oz)
Diced - 0 24182 01118 0 (28 oz) & 0 24182 01121 0 (14.5 oz)
Diced w/Sweet Basil - 0 24182 01131 9 (14.5 oz)
Diced w/Green Chilies - 0 24182 01135 7 (14.5 oz)
Diced w/Roasted Onion - 0 24182 01132 6 (14.5 oz)
Whole Roma - 0 24182 01112 8 (28 oz)
Whole Roma w/Sweet Basil - 0 24182 01113 5 (28 oz)
Pizza Pasta Sauce - 0 24182 00117 4 (15 oz)

Eden Organic Tomatoes are packed in tin covered steel cans coated with a baked on r-enamel lining. Due to the acidity of the tomatoes, the lining is epoxy based and may contain a minute amount of bispenol-A, it is however, in the 'non detectable' range according to independent laboratory Extraction Tests. These test were based on a detection level of 5 ppb (parts per billion), the lowest detectable level currently available.

2) What measure, if any, your company is taking to move away from packaging containing BPA?

Packaging our tomato products in glass containers

3) Your companies position on BPA

The endocrine disrupter chemical, bisphenol-A (BPA) needs to be removed from all food products.

Sincerely,