How long have we used BPA? What does it do better than other, better-understood chemicals? I wonder if BPA is like partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats). These were relatively recent inventions that made only minor improvements in shelf life of foods; shelf life improvements that were already unnecessary due to improved transportation and inventory management techniques. Industry sources claimed there would be huge problems from removing trans fats from food, but that was completely untrue. Would it be so hard to get rid of BPA? The potential risks don't seem worth the advantages.