The next time you pop the lid off of your canned soup, green beans, tuna and/or juice, you may well find much more than you expected inside. These are among the many products which have been found to contain the chemical known as Bisphenol A (or BPA).
What is BPA and what does it mean to you? This chemical is primarily found in polycarbonate plastic – this is the material favoured for use of the larger transparent bottled water containers, sports water bottles and water filtration systems. If the idea of ingesting this chemical hasn’t turned your stomach yet, consider that BPA is also found in dental sealants and numerous car parts.
Frequently, chemicals have no place inside the human body and BPA is no exception. Not only is the thought of consuming this chemical unpleasant, it is also unsafe. Through scientific research, BPA has been found to be harmful as it can lead to breast and prostate cancer, birth defects and diabetes.
Canned goods producers are arguing that the level of BPA in their products is too low to cause any concerns. However, federal guidelines stipulate that no one should exceed taking in more than 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. You can see for yourself that there is a danger present.
Many of us will load our grocery carts with canned foods without a second thought for the convenience of these products … it's pretty easy to open a can of soup and heat it for lunch. Furthermore, canned products seem like they can remain on our pantry shelves for almost an eternity without spoiling. However, until this BPA scare is resolved, I would recommend consumers to consider other alternatives to buying canned food. The easiest, healthiest and tastiest answer is to buy fresh produce instead.
