Originally published by Kara Goldin on LinkedIn: What’s Inside the Can --in the liner-- and What They Don’t Want You To Know.

If you are drinking a canned beverage right now you are being exposed to BPA, a chemical that the State of California has found to cause female reproductive harm.

Diet cola? Organic energy? Kombucha? If they are in a can, they are all sitting inside of a can that has BPA on the inside.

Maybe you bought that drink at the health food store or specialty market? Still has BPA.

You might remember that years ago parents raised hell when they learned that baby bottles contained BPA. BPA-free alternatives quickly replaced them, but you probably didn’t realize that almost every can you buy (including formula btw) has BPA.

Normally the State of California requires products with harmful chemicals to carry a warning label. A year ago, Prop 65 was passed and they listed BPA as harmful. Unfortunately, somehow, you won’t find a warning label on that can you are holding right now because something very unusual happened last month.

Even though the can manufacturers have had 100% BPA-free formulations in use in Europe for a long time, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment was convinced to issue an emergency regulation allowing the industry to avoid placing the warning label on cans and instead requiring retailers to place a small sign near the grocery checkout. The justification for the “emergency regulation” was "to avoid consumer confusion.”

Frankly, I find it confusing.

A sign? In a store? Not actually on the can? WHY? We also find the text of the sign itself somewhat confusing. It says that "many cans” have BPA and also that jar lids and bottle caps MAY have BPA. The facts are that almost ALL cans have BPA and ONLY METAL bottle caps have BPA (in the coating under the cap).

Just to be clear, the type of plastic beverage bottles and caps used by hint® and many other beverage companies do not contain BPA. Cans containing beverages do! Even beverages highlighting that they are Organic and Non GMO contain a lining with BPA.

We hear frequently from consumers who want to know if our packaging contains BPA, so I know this is important to consumers.

At hint®, we feel that the industry has buried information on BPA far too long. Isn’t it time to come clean and let consumers decide?

Kara Goldin is Founder and CEO of Hint Water, the fastest growing flavored water in the United States. Kara started Hint when she couldn't find a healthy water that tasted great without questionable additives like sweeteners. Hint Water has 0 calories, 0 sugar, and 0 diet sweeteners and can be purchased online at www.drinkhint.com in a variety of flavors including Blackberry and Watermelon, in both still and sparkling.