BPA in Canned Food

As fall comes and the fresh produce start declining rapidly, I understand that many people decide to buy more canned food. I want to give you some important information so that you can be educated about buying canned food before your next trip to the grocery store.



A new study by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found canned green beans contaminated with as much as 730 parts per billion of bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic hormone and component of epoxy can linings. At that concentration, a single serving of beans could result in a dose of BPA close to those that have caused permanent toxicity in laboratory studies.

The tests, which the FDA Office of Food Additive Safety published in late May in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that 71 of 78 canned foods tested were tainted with BPA. These tests confirm Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 2007 research that found the chemical in 55 of 97 cans of food.


“Federal health agencies warn parents to limit their children’s BPA exposures,” senior analyst Sonya Lunder, M.P.H., said. “But with the chemical found in canned food, store receipts and even umbilical cord blood, we think that ‘buyer beware’ isn’t good health policy. Systematic protections for children are the only solution.”

As you can see, this is a serious issue! I know it is easy to get your veggies and other food easily from a can, but please think twice before you stock up this fall. Is it worth the price of your health?

There are other options. Go for frozen food! The produce is healthier frozen anyway. You can also use dried beans and other dried food.
I encourage you to read more about this topic. For more information from EWG, see http://www.ewg.org/.