Consumer Reports Finds Harmful Chemicals in Canned Foods

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November 10, 2009

Bisphenol A (BPA), which can cause a range of health problems, is found in certain plastic and food-can liners and is still widely used in food manufacturing, although levels of the chemical vary widely in packaged foods, according to Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports tested 19 name-brand canned foods, including juice, vegetables and soups and BPA showed up in nearly all brands, including organic foods and some labeled "BPA-free."

The highest concentrations were found in Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans Blue Lake (35.9 parts per billon (ppb) to 191 ppb), Progresso Vegetable Soup (67 to 134 ppb) and Campbell's Condensed Chicken Soup (54.5 to 102 ppb). The FDA figures that an exposure of just over 20 ppb translates into 0.185 micrograms for a 132-pound person who eats about 6.5 pounds of food a day.

Although industry groups such as the North American Metal Packaging Alliance, claim that these levels are completely safe, and BPA allows for canned foods to be sterilized at high temperatures. Consumer Union, the non-profit that publishes Consumer Reports, argues that the risk is still great.

"The findings are noteworthy because they indicate the extent of potential exposure," Urvashi Rangan, PhD, director of technical policy at Consumer Union, said in a statement. "Children eating multiple servings per day of canned foods with BPA levels comparable to the ones we found in some tested products could get a dose of BPA near levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies. The lack of any safety margin between the levels that cause harm in animals and those that people could potentially ingest from canned foods has been inadequately addressed by the FDA to date."

The report comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review its guidelines for safe levels of BPA, known as an endocrine disrupter that has been linked with reproductive problems and may even cause certain cancers.

In 2008, Canada banned BPA in baby bottles over health concerns. Currently, the upper limit of safe exposure set by the FDA is 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day. However, recent studies in animals have found reproductive problems attributed to BPA at much lower levels, according to a Consumer Reports statement.

Consumer Reports' food-safety scientists recommend daily safe exposure levels to be set at 0.0024 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. The FDA could have a finalized review of BPA before the end of the year.

Read These Related Articles:

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• PLMA Live! Interviews Tod Marks of Consumer Reports
• Wegmans Takes a Stand on Products Containing BPA
• Kroger Recalls Store Brand Beef Supplied by JBS Swift Beef Co.

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