Study finds chemical BPA in food cans

WASHINGTON, D.C - November 3, 2009 (WPVI) -- You may be getting more than you bargained for in those canned foods you buy at the store.

Consumers Union, the parent company of Consumer Reports, recently tested a variety of canned foods, including soups, juice, tuna and green beans.

Almost all of the 19 name-brand foods contained measurable levels of Bisphenol A, or B-P-A.

The highest levels were found in canned green beans and canned soups.

DelMonte Fresh Cut Blue Lake Green Beans ranged from 35.9 parts per billion (ppb) to 191 ppb. Levels for Progresso Vegetable Soup ranged from 67 to 134 ppb.

The non-profit group said for some, BPA from canned food could approach levels that have been shown to be harmful in animal studies.

BPA has come under scrutiny in plastic products, such as baby bottles, water bottles, and other polycarbonate, or hard plastic, products.

Some studies link B-P-A to health issues including birth defects, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.

B-P-A was found in a diverse assortment of canned foods including those labeled "organic," and even in some foods packaged as "BPA-free."

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