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I wrote about BPA about a month ago in my blog, but since most of us unknowingly are eating this controversial chemical every day I think it’s worth mentioning again, now that Green Century Capital Management and the nonprofit As You Sow just released a new report that will quickly tell you about BPA's risks and which companies are doing something about it.

BPA, or bisphenol A, is used in can linings and in the plastic often used to make water bottles and other containers. According to the report, BPA is a synthetic sex hormone that’s been linked to development problems, heart disease and diabetes.

The report is based on the response Green Century got from 20 publicly traded companies it contacted in November to find out what they were doing to respond to BPA concerns. Of the 14 companies that responded, only four were working on safer alternatives and only one of those had begun using a substitute.

Seeking Safer Packaging says Hain Celestial, Heinz and Nestlé are researching and testing alternatives to BPA and plan to phase out the chemical in some products. According to the report, Heinz is the only respondent already using a substitute to BPA in some of its can linings.

The other companies contacted were Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, ConAgra, Chiquita, Dean Foods, Del Monte, General Mills, Hershey, Hormel, J.M. Smucker, Kellogg, Kraft, McCormick, PepsiCo, Sara Lee, Sysco and Unilever.

I don't know about you, but I'd like to know more about what I'm eating. And as an investor, I want to hear about issues that could become big liabilities for companies that don't address them.

Dorothy Hinchcliff is editor of FA online and FA green, as well as managing editor of Financial Advisor magazine. She has spent more than 15 years as an editor and reporter covering personal finance and other business issues.