The toxic chemical BPA has been found in food cans sold in stores in the United States and Canada, according to study done by six nonprofit groups and reported on by the
National Post.
BPA, or bisphenol A, can be found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, which are often used in containers that store food and beverages, according to the
Mayo Clinic website. They may also be used in other consumer goods.
Some research has shown that BPA can seep into food or beverages from the containers with possible links to health problem on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children, said the Mayo Clinic.
The National Post said the survey by the nonprofit groups, which collectively call themselves Environmental Defense, found that 67 percent of the 192 cans it examined had BPA in the epoxy resin of the can lining or lid. The Post said 18 of the 21 cans purchased in Canada, or 86 percent, contained BPA.
The groups are the Breast Cancer Fund, Campaign for Healthier Solutions, Clean Production Action, Ecology Center, and Mind the Store Campaign.
"BPA's widespread presence in consumer products means that almost all Canadians are exposed," said an
Environmental Defense statement. "According to the Canadian Health Measures Survey, 95 percent of Canadians between the ages of 3 and 79 have BPA in their bodies.
"Our exposure to BPA largely comes from dietary sources – through the consumption of foods and beverages packaged in BPA – containing metal cans or plastic containers. BPA easily leaches into the food we consume via packaging materials."
Food & Consumer Products of Canada, which represents manufacturers of products in grocery stores, said in a statement that Canada's current regulatory system for BPA is one of the most stringent in the world, according to
CBC News,
"BPA is also a highly tested substance and at current levels of exposure governments globally continue to recognize its current use in can linings as safe," said Susan Abel, vice president of safety and compliance at Food & Consumer Products of Canada.
Related Stories: