New tests reveal the harmful chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), has been found in many household canned food items, including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans. The article is featured in the December 2009 issue of Consumer Reports.
BPA, a major component in plastic products, has been produced for commercial use since the 1950’s and can be found in products such as water bottles, baby bottles, dental fillings, electronics, and eyeglass lenses. Epoxy resins, which are used to line many food and beverage containers, also contain levels of BPA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has always reviewed data on BPA but began a formal reassessment of the effects of BPA in 2007. Currently, the FDA lists the daily maximum human exposure limit to BPA as 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. However, this exposure limit was set in 1988 and the FDA is expected to update the data in the near future.
Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor and animal experiments have shown that low dose exposure causes a multitude of adverse effects to the endocrine and reproductive systems. In humans, a study
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that higher levels of BPA were associated with heart disease, diabetes, and higher liver enzymes. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) determined concern over the effects of BPA on fetal and infant brain development and behavior.
Consumer Reports found the highest levels of BPA in Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans, Progresso Vegetable Soup, and Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Soup. The chemical was also found in Similac Advance Infant Formula and Nestle Juicy Juice.
More information at http://www.bisphenol-a.org/about/infosheets.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A
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