Report: BPA Levels in Canned Beans, Soups Are Five Times Higher Than Previously Thought

happy_liberal

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Wed May-19-10 11:52 AM
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Report: BPA Levels in Canned Beans, Soups Are Five Times Higher Than Previously Thought

At this point, no company wants to be caught with a BPA-filled product. The chemical, which is found in food and drink can linings, water bottles, computers, and other products containing plastic, can cause numerous health problems--it mimics estrogen, for example, and that can lead to infertility and even cancer. Now the National Workgroup for Safe Markets has come out with a report (PDF) claiming that canned foods, many of which are labeled as "healthy" or organic, contain an average of 77 parts per billion (ppb) of BPA. When the FDA last tested canned food in 1996, it found found an average of 16 ppb, or almost five times less than the average level of BPA found in the NWSM report.

The NWSM conducted its research on 50 donated food and beverage containers from 20 people located in 19 U.S. states and Ontario, Canada. Cans containing fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, soups, tomato products, sodas, and milk were submitted from kitchen cupboards, pantries, and straight from local chain grocery stores. An FDA-certified lab in San Francisco evaluated the concentrations of BPA in the food within the cans, with some upsetting results: BPA was found in 92% of the canned food samples. NSWM found no correlation between the age of the product and the amount of BPA in the food, and BPA levels couldn't be predicted by price, quality, or nutrition value of the product.

NWSM reports:

The highest level of BPA—1,140 part per billion (ppb), to our knowledge the highest level ever found in the U.S.—was detected in DelMonte French Style Green Beans from a participant’s pantry in Wisconsin. Other high scorers included Walmart’s Great Value Green Peas from a store in Kentucky, and Healthy Choice Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup from a pantry in Montana. On average, the products contained 77.36 ppb of bisphenol A.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1649418/report-bpa-levels-in-canned-food-are-five-times-higher-than-previously-thought

also see:
BPA plastics chemical damages intestines, study shows
http://www.naturalnews.com/028819_BPA_intestines.html

In the new study, researchers exposed both living rats and human intestinal cells to a dose of BPA 10 times lower than that currently considered safe by most governments. They found that the permeability of intestinal cells in both humans and rats decreased upon exposure to the chemical. The intestinal lining developed damage characteristic of the condition known both as "poor intestinal permeability" and "leaky gut syndrome."

Normally, a mucus lining prevents undigested substances from passing through the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream. When this lining is damaged, however, toxic substances and foreign pathogens can enter the body more easily. Because the intestinal lining also contains immunoglobin A, its disruption can affect the entire body's immune system.