Dangers of Canned Foods

Consumer Reports’ latest test of canned foods, including soups, juice, tuna and green beans, have found that almost all the foods tested contain measurable levels of bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA, used in clear plastic bottles and can liners, has been linked to a wide range of health effects including reproductive abnormalities and increased risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

Several animal studies show adverse effects at exposures of 2.4 mcg BPA per kilogram of body weight per day, a dose that could be reached by a child eating as little as one serving of canned food a day. Consumer Reports’ food-safety scientists recommend limiting daily exposure to 0.0024 mcg/kg, significantly lower than the FDA’s current safety limit.