The BPA Replacement in Can Linings Harms Development
NonToxCo Research
Science & Safety Team · 5/5/2026
Canned food manufacturers switched from BPA-lined cans after BPA was restricted. Many moved to TMBPF (tetramethyl bisphenol F), which became one of the most widely used BPA substitutes in epoxy resins and can coatings. A 2026 study in International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that maternal TMBPF exposure impairs offspring neurodevelopment, including memory, learning, and social behavior.
What the Study Found
Researchers from Chungbuk National University in South Korea tested TMBPF on mouse embryonic stem cells and in pregnant mice. The results showed developmental neurotoxic potential. Offspring of TMBPF-exposed mothers showed alterations in memory and learning, social behavior, anxiety-related responses, and spontaneous locomotor activity.
At the molecular level, TMBPF disrupted dopaminergic and cholinergic signaling, synaptic plasticity, and neuronal activity markers. These are the same systems affected by BPA. The researchers note this is "the first evidence in a mammalian model" that maternal TMBPF exposure influences offspring neurodevelopment.
The "BPA-Free" Label Is Not a Safety Guarantee
BPA-free just means BPA wasn't used. It says nothing about what was used instead. Can linings, food packaging, and epoxy resins can contain any number of structurally similar chemicals with the same endocrine-disrupting properties. TMBPF is one of them.
Canned food is one of the harder exposures to avoid without cooking from scratch. But for daily food storage, there are options that skip the problem entirely. Glass jars, stainless steel containers, and borosilicate glass have no epoxy linings. Browse non-toxic kitchen alternatives for storage that doesn't require a can lining.
Also see glass food containers for safer alternatives.