Nena Baker: How Eden Foods Pioneered BPA-free Cans

AlterNet: "Here's the back story on Eden Foods' switch to BPA-free cans for its bean products:
In 1997, Potter learned that new research was raising questions about the safety of bisphenol A, and that one of BPA's many applications was in the linings of cans. 'Being a canner, it got my attention, ' said Potter.

He asked his can suppliers -- three of them at the time -- if bisphenol A was in the cans they were selling to Eden Foods. 'I made hundreds of phone calls to these three manufacturers,' he said. 'Remarkably, I couldn't find out if it was in the cans I was using or not.'
The can companies didn't have to disclose what chemicals they were using as long as they claimed it was a trade secret.

'I was flabbergasted that legally, it was none of my business. I had no right to know, as a consumer, a food manufacturer, a parent or grandparent.'"