Following up on the news from Diary of a Tomato, a fabulous and inspiring blog from Maine, that Ball and Kerr canning lids are stealthily going BPA-free, I have discovered that Canada’s version, Bernardin, has also gone BPA-free (I suspect that Ball, Kerr and Bernardin lids all come from the same source). In any case, I mention “stealth” as there is nothing on the label of the new canning lids to suggest that their formula may have changed. The only difference in the packaging is the addition of a numbered code on the box (see photo below).
Top box: new BPA-free canning lids from Bernardin with codes. Bottom box: older boxes have no codes and do contain BPA.
I spoke with a Bernardin representative today who confirmed that “Yes, we have switched to BPA-free.” but that there has been no independent, third party testing of the new formula so the company is not advertising the change. The new boxes with codes on them are BPA-free. What the new enamel coating contains is anyone’s guess but I hope it is a more stable option than the BPA formulation.
Locaphile BPA-free canning lids from Bernardin, May 2013
I recreated Diary of a Tomato‘s photos using my old and new Bernardin lids. She notes:
Older lids with a whiter lining to the left; new BPA-free lids with a darker lining and more prominent, slightly tweaked “button” to the right. When asked, the spokesperson for Ball was unable to tell me what the new lining is made of, only that the information is “proprietary.” Still, we’re glad to finally have a BPA-free choice.
Many thanks to Diary of a Tomato for sharing this information.
Livin' La Vida LOCAphile 
Love your own side-by-side comparison, and thanks for your very kind words about my blog! From what I gathered, Jarden views the new lids as an update/upgrade on the old, and a proactive move; they claim the old lids are still safe to use since BPA was never banned here…
By: leduesorelle on June 4, 2013
at 11:56
Thank you for your blog – I enjoy it tremendously and your scoop on the BPA-free lids is great. BPA is legal in food packaging in Canada though it was declared a toxic chemical in 2010 and it has been banned for use in baby bottles and young children’s toys – go figure. I have the impression that these corporations aren’t quite ready to admit that BPA is something to avoid (“toxic”) but have felt pressure to replace it quickly. The under-the-radar approach they have taken with these lids does seem strange. Thanks again for sharing.
By: locaphile on June 6, 2013
at 13:39
[…] for the serial number printed on the end of the box (below). For our canning friends in Canada, Livin’ La Vida LOCAphile’s comparison shows that Bernardin’s BPA-free lids can be identified by a tiny maple icon in the upper […]
By: Mastering Food Preservation: More on Identifying Ball’s BPA-Free Lids | Diary of a Tomato on July 19, 2013
at 13:01
I am curious to know why every single one of my lids crinkles during processing….they are alot thinnner than the old ones and I’m concerned if they will seal or not. I only finger tighten them. Why is this happening?
By: Jacquie on August 5, 2013
at 13:48
Good question. I haven’t actually gotten around to canning anything yet this summer so I cannot share an experience. I was so busy being happy to have an affordable non-BPA canning lid that I didn’t stop to consider that it might not work. I wonder if your lid crinkles are happening to other people.
By: locaphile on August 5, 2013
at 18:48
Hi, I’m wondering if there is any way of telling if the cases of jars are BPA free, when I called Barnardin they said the boxes would be labelled “bpa free” but I’ve been to 5 stores in Edmonton and not one can I find. I even looked for the “tweaky lids” on the jars….
I have seen lids with the serial numbers on them here (I had your blog open while I was at the store) so I may go purchase extra lids just to be safe. I have only canned with Weck jars so far due to the BPA, but my local store is all out of my 750 and 500 ml jars and I have 80lbs of tomatoes to can this long weekend!
By: Jasmine on August 29, 2013
at 18:13
I haven’t checked out the lids on the cases of jars yet but I suspect that if there is a little maple leaf on the lid just to the left of Bernardin’s tagline, “Crafted for quality, sealed for freshness” it might indicate that the lid itself is BPA-free. This is one of the differences between the old BPA lids and the new BPA-free lids. Zoom in on the photos in the blog for a clearer look.
Good luck with your canning projects – sounds like fun.
By: locaphile on September 1, 2013
at 09:02
It is now the summer of 2014 and All the Bernardin packages that I have come across share no information as to their supposedly BPA-free composition. What up? You could check out the officially BPA-free Tattler lids now available at Canadian Tire.
By: locaphile on July 28, 2014
at 17:30