BPA found in kids’ canned food

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDSep 22 2011

The chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) that is suspected to be harmful to babies may be found in several child-friendly canned foods. Breast Cancer Fund researchers tested for bisphenol A (BPA) in six products specifically marketed to children. Included in the list were such popular kid-targeted meals as Campbell’s “Disney Princess" soup with "shaped pasta with chicken in chicken broth” and Annie’s Homegrown certified organic “Cheesy Ravioli.” BPA, which is found in plastics, cash-register receipts, dental sealants and even money, has been linked in animal studies to a host of health ills, including possible cancers and developmental problems and early puberty.

For the new study the team looked at canned products that “were specifically marketed to kids: either ones with pictures of favorite cartoon characters or labels that said something about kids,” said Connie Engel, science education coordinator at the Breast Cancer Fund, a national non-profit organization dedicated to identifying and eliminating environmental links to breast cancer. “The levels we found in these canned foods were a little higher than those previously found in baby bottles and water bottles.”

The average level of BPA in the 12 items tested was 49 ppb (parts per billion) and ranged from 10 to 148 ppb. The Environmental Protection Agency's estimate of safe exposure level is 50 ppb per day.

Many plastic bottle manufacturers changed their formulations to exclude BPA, however, the verdict is still out on how much BPA it might take to have a toxic effect on children. The Food and Drug Administration has called for more research on the substance explaining that the agency has “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate glands of fetuses, infants, and children.”

It is speculated that the resins that manufacturers use to coat the insides of all cans could be the source of the BPA in the food. The resins are designed to block metals from leaching into foods as well as to prevent a metallic taste, experts said.

“Every advance usually has benefits and tradeoffs,” explained Thomas Burke, a professor and associate dean at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. “For example, many kids of my generation got cuts from broken glass at the beach. Plastic bottles probably reduced the likelihood of that happening. But they were also a source of BPA.”

Animal studies have shown that high levels of BPA can lead to health problems, no one really knows what low levels do. “Probably one of the most vexing issues in public health is determining the effects of low levels of chemicals like BPA,” Burke said.

One of the biggest controversies in public health right now is whether the findings from animal studies at high doses translate into a risk for humans, said Joe Braun, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health. “Historically we didn’t consider a child to be suffering from lead poisoning until he showed up in the hospital with encephalopathy and seizures,” Braun said. “Now we know much lower exposures can have a big impact.”

Neither Braun nor Burke was ready to warn parents off canned goods altogether and said parents shouldn’t be alarmed at the BPA their kids may have already consumed. The good thing about BPA is that it doesn’t seem to accumulate in your system permanently, Burke said. “We all have it in our bodies,” he explained. “But if you stop exposure, the levels go down — a lot faster than some of the pesticides, or lead, or mercury.”

Campbell Soup Company spokesman Anthony Sanzio says the quality and safety of their products is their top priority. “BPA is used by the entire industry as a can lining to protect the food because it is approved for that use,” says Sanzio. “We are talking about parts per billion here. These are very small, minute amounts that regulatory bodies have said don't pose a threat to human health.” “We are confident in what the science tells us, but that does not mean that we don't understand the concerns that consumers have expressed,” says Sanzio.

There's no argument that BPA is everywhere: in the water, air, ground, and food we eat. But the issue is whether human exposure to BPA at the levels currently found in the food supply is responsible for negative health effects down the road. Some researchers say the Environmental Protection Agency's current safe BPA exposure limit is too high. They argue that studies have shown adverse effects at much lower levels of exposure. On the other side of the debate, industry groups say recent studies call into question previous studies that have used spot testing of blood or urine as an indicator of potential BPA health risks.

While the jury may still be out on the potential health effects of BPA, experts say there are simple steps to reduce BPA exposure. They advise choosing fresh food over canned whenever possible. If fresh is not an option, they advise to seek frozen foods or those packed in Tetra Paks, which look like big juice boxes. They advise to remove frozen foods from plastic bags or trays before heating and microwave foods in ceramic or glass containers rather than plastic.