On July 17, 2017 the U.S. non-profit organization Safer Chemicals, Health Families’ (SCHF) campaign “Mind the Store” launched a national “week of action,” urging U.S. retailer Albertsons “to stop selling products containing or packaged with toxic chemicals such as lead, formaldehyde, parabens, and BPA.” The campaign called on Albertsons “to announce a safer chemicals policy to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals.” These requests were prompted by a new SCHF product survey finding chemicals of concern (COCs) in different own-brand consumer products sold by Albertsons. Examples include: Lead in the handles of barbeque basting and cleaning brushes, as well as formaldehyde releasers, parabens, fragrance, and other COCs in personal care and cleaning products.

In an evaluation of U.S. retailers’ safer chemicals programs conducted by SCHF in 2016, Albertsons ranked the third-lowest out of eleven retailers (FPF reported). In a U.S. survey of food cans conducted by the non-profit organizations Center for Environmental Health (CEH), the Just Transition Alliance, and the “Mind the Store” campaign in May 2017, 36% of Albertsons’ own-brand food can coatings contained bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7) (FPF reported). Mike Schade from SCHF stated that “as one of the nation’s largest retailers, Albertsons should wield its market power to drive dangerous chemicals out of products” and follow the lead of other U.S. retailer such as Walmart (FPF reported), Target (FPF reported), and Costco (FPF reported).

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SCHF (July 17, 2017). “Health advocates call on Albertsons to ban toxic chemicals in everyday products.

SCHF (2017). “New research: Toxic chemicals hiding in certain Albertsons’ products.(pdf)

Beth Kemler and Cindy Luppi (July 27, 2017). “From Idaho to Massachusetts, consumers ask Albertsons to turn up the heat on toxic chemicals this summer.SCHF

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