• Font Size    

KDKA.com Consumer Web Extras

Does It Really Do That? (Recent Reports)
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Chemical In Canned Foods Could Be Harmful

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Nov 4, 2009 8:16 pm US/Eastern

Chemical In Canned Foods Could Be Harmful

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Fresh food just looks like it's good for you.

It's more nutritious, more healthful, and more environmentally-friendly. The downside is it's often more expensive and spoils quicker.

But canned foods and drinks may have an even bigger downside.

A Consumer Reports study finds that many canned soups, vegetables, baby food and juices and soda contain potentially dangerous levels of a chemical called Bisphenol A or BPA.

Dr. Urvashi Rangan is a researcher for Consumer Reports.

"Showing that exposure to low doses of BPA are associated with a wide range of adverse health effects, including various cancers, diabetes and heart disease," Rangan said.

It's not the contents of the can, but the can itself that's the problem. BPA is used in a thin, invisible lining of the can – not the actual metal. Consumer Reports did not test all brands - only a sampling.

"It's been around for awhile and I will say that a lot of companies are looking at this and really trying to figure out ways to take it out of the product," UPMC Nutritionist Leslie Bonci said.

Until that time, consumers looking for convenience from canned food may want switch up menus.

"So maybe alternating that and doing some things that are frozen would be a way of cutting down on some of the exposure to the BPA," Bonci said.

And because children may be most vulnerable, the study also recommends using powdered infant formula rather than canned concentrate and juice boxes rather than cans.

Checking labels on cans doesn't always help.

"Actually you have some products now that do say on them 'BPA free' but if it doesn't say that you don't always know," Bonci said.

Consumer Reports is requesting that the Food and Drug Administration ban BPA from any packaging that comes in contact with food.
 
A spokesperson for the FDA says that they are currently engaged in updating the assessment of the safety of Bisphenol A in the food contact materials and should have a recommendation by the end of this month.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Featured Slideshows On KDKA.com

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Health

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.