Waiter, There’s 1,221 Percent More Toxic BPA in My Soup!
New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows a significant spike in urine BPA (bisphenol-A) levels in individuals consuming canned soup products.
Titled “Canned Soup Consumption and Urinary Bisphenol A: A Randomized Crossover Trial,” the Harvard School of Public Health study participants consumed one can of soup daily for five consecutive days, showing a more than 1,221 percent increase in BPA versus study participants who consumed freshly made soup during the same time period.
According to the study’s lead author, PhD student, Jenny Carwile, “Previous studies have linked elevated BPA levels with adverse health effects. The next step was to figure out how people are getting exposed to BPA. We’ve known for awhile that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body. This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use.”
The prevalence of BPA products has sparked debate and concern over regulating the harmful endocrine disruptor. It’s found in a number of products including baby bottles, the linings in food and beverage cans and is also in non-food items such as register receipts and children’s toys. BPA mimics human estrogen in the body and has been linked to neurological disorders, birth defects, ADD and certain types of cancer.
Canada was the first country to declare BPA a toxin; and France is pushing for BPA labeling requirements, but the FDA—despite acknowledging concern over the safety of exposure to BPA—has said that it would be nearly impossible to enforce labeling regulations on the substance in the U.S.
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Image: MattHurst
