We’ve been writing about bisphenol A—BPA—regularly for years and how the estrogenic hormone mimicker, which can be found in everything from nautical paints to canned food linings, is affecting us with much more frequency and ferocity than some prevailing information indicates. Now, WebMD is reporting that the BPA risk in canned foods could be affecting […]
We’ve been writing about <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances">bisphenol A—BPA—regularly for years and how the estrogenic hormone mimicker, which can be found in everything from nautical paints to canned food linings, is affecting us with much more frequency and ferocity than some prevailing information indicates. Now, WebMD is reporting that the BPA risk in canned foods could be affecting consumers on a daily, ongoing basis. The study cited points to more routine BPA exposure from normal ingestion of canned foods, said WebMD.
A plastic hardener used in polycarbonate manufacturing, BPA is commonly found in the lining of food and beverage cans, thermal paper receipts, a wide array of plastic products, and resins used in nautical paint. And, while it has long been recognized that BPA affects animal hormone levels, prevailing science points to the same issues in humans, wrote Environmental Health News previously.
The emerging study has heightened the call for stricter regulations surrounding the chemical’s use concerning food safety and in the pending food safety bill that is scheduled to reach senate debate shortly, said WebMD.
The study, which was conducted by a partnership of consumer and food safety concerns found that detectable levels of the chemical showed up in 46 out of 50 grocery store cans tested, suggesting BPA routinely leaches from can linings into the food stored in the can, said WebMD. Del Monte French Style Green Beans tested with the highest levels.
“We should not set a place for bisphenol A at the dinner table,” Elizabeth Hitchcock, a public health advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said, quoted WebMD. Hitchcock was speaking at a news conference on Capitol Hill.
Industry has long argued that scientists and advocates exaggerate BPA’s adverse effects, continually citing two industry studies; however, at last count, over 900 peer-reviewed studies found links between BPA and such effects.
Regardless, a number of countries, states, and other entities have issued bans on BPA, which imitates the hormone estrogen and acts as an anti-androgen. This means, even in the smallest of amounts, BPA affects sexual development and processes, especially in the bodies of developing fetuses, infants, and children, explained Science Daily previously. Canada was the first country to issue a BPA ban, Denmark recently followed, four U.S. states have issued bans, and France is considering a ban.
Hundreds and hundreds of studies have linked the ubiquitous chemical to a growing number of diseases and disorders and continue to confirm that BPA appears to cause significant disruption to the body’s endocrine system.
BPA has been linked to cardiovascular disease, intestinal problems, brain cell connection interference, increased risks of reproductive and immune system diseases and disorders, problems with liver function testing, interruptions in chemotherapy treatment, links with serious health problems, and erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in males. In urine tests, BPA is found in the overwhelming majority of Americans, more than 93 percent and, significantly, the chemical is found in 90 percent of all newborns.
