Tests Find Wide Range of Bisphenol A in Canned Soups, Juice, and More

[ensho]

http://civileats.com/2009/11/02/tests-find-wide-range-of-bisphenol-a-in-canned-soups-juice-and-more/


Consumer Reports’ latest tests of canned foods, including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans, have found that almost all of the 19 name-brand foods tested contain measurable levels of Bisphenol A (BPA). The results are reported in the December 2009 issue and also available online. BPA, which has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners, has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because it has been linked to a wide array of health effects including reproductive abnormalities, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. I’ve reported on BPA here, here, and here.

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Consumer Reports tested three different samples of each canned item for BPA and found that the highest levels of BPA tests were found in some samples of canned green beans and canned soups. Canned Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans Blue Lake had the highest amount of BPA for a single sample, with levels ranging from 35.9 parts per billon (ppb) to 191 ppb. Progresso Vegetable Soup BPA levels ranged from 67 to 134 ppb. Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup had BPA levels ranging from 54.5 to 102 ppb.

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The study also revealed that bypassing metal cans in favor of other packaging such as plastic containers or bags might lower but not eliminate exposure to BPA, but this wasn’t true for all products tested. In addition, BPA was found in some products labeled as “organic” and some cans that claimed to be “BPA-free.”

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“The findings are noteworthy because they indicate the extent of potential exposure,” said Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Director of Technical Policy, at Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “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.”

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Choose fresh food whenever possible.
Consider alternatives to canned food, beverages, juices, and infant formula.
Use glass containers when heating food in microwave ovens.
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it used to be that more rather then less children grew to adulthood without any major physical or mental problems.

I'm thinking that now its the other way round. more children have physical/mental problems before reaching adulthood.

[leftofcool]

1. This is why

if at all possible, you buy fresh fruit and make your own juice as well as making home made soup with fresh veggies.

[luvspeas]

2. It's scary...

I buy frozen over canned. Most canned items are available frozen. There is usually less salt in frozen stuff too. Except I have been eating canned tomato sauce since I was born and the acid in that stuff leeches all kinds of crap. So I'm likely screwed.

[pansypoo53219]

5. hell, i started to make my own cream of celery

soup base for casseroles. dried soup mix over canned. may need to learn tomato canning.

[Liberation Angel]

8. We "canned" autumn olive berries (jelly/jam) and syrup this year for the first time

mason jars come 12 for $7.00 and with a little sugar it is cheap and full of licopene which prevents/fights cancer.

In Asia it is popular and known as Aki-Gumi Fruit.

I had never tried canning before seriously but my kids made me help (they picked the autumn olive berries which grow everywhere in the northeast and if you get them ripe are delicious. Great for the eyes too and helps improve night vision. Full of vitamins and fatty acids and anticancer antioxidants!

They sold the jam at a Holistic Fair along with their home made custom made Hula Hoops!

Kids!

Gotta love 'em.

On edit: I DID make autumn olive and wild grape wine last year though! Yummy!

ALWAYS tastes better if you do it yourself without any plastic cancer causing petrochemicals of toxic death.

[intheflow]

3. And for gods' sake, don't cook your organic food in teflon pots!

My roommates are big on buying organic everything, but then cook it in their teflon pots and pans. :eyes: They even have a teflon-lined tea pot, hot stupid is that?! It's not like boiled water will stick to the bottom of a teapot! Worse, they use metal spatulas and forks so that they teflon is shredded and cooks into their food. :puke:

Very sad to read about Progresso, though. I usually make my own soups, but occasionally I'll eat Progresso. Guess that's stopping now.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Goes for the pet food, too, I suspect?

Damn....time to clean out the cupboards.

[Quantess]

6. I love green beans.

Opening a can of green beans and heating it on the stove is so easy. But there's no denying that fresh cooked taste a lot better, even though they take longer to cook and are less convenient.

[Liberation Angel]

7. i do not like canned veggies k&r

fresh or frozen please

[Le Taz Hot]

9. One more reason to make your own soup

and can your own fruits/veggies. It's really not that difficult and, in the long run, can cut your grocery bill at least in half during the winter.