In a new study published online on April 27, 2015 in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, researchers determine bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7) concentrations in sugary beverages frequently consumed by Italian children and use these data to estimate children’s exposure to BPA. Fasano and colleagues purchased 71 sugary beverages packed in various materials (e.g., aluminium, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Tetra Pak™, glass) in Campania province, Italy and analyzed them for BPA. The authors then determined the daily BPA intake levels of children through the consumption of sugary drinks. Overall, BPA was detected in 57% , 50% and 100% of carbonated, non-carbonated and milk-based beverages, respectively. BPA was not detected in any of the glass bottled beverages. Among the carbonated/non-carbonated drinks, BPA concentrations in beverages packed in cans were markedly higher than in those packed in PET, polystyrene and Tetra Pak™. The estimated daily intake of BPA in children ranged from 0.008 to 1.765 µg/kg body weight (bw)/day. The median children’s BPA levels were lower than the temporary total daily intake (t-TDI) of 4 µg/kg bw/day established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in January 2015 (FPF reported). However, the authors point out that the current study only considered BPA exposure via soft sugary drinks, while the t-TDI also considers other exposure sources. Moreover, the authors stress that for children BPA exposure may be more harmful than for adults and even very low exposures may constitute a public health concern. According to the authors, routine consumption of high-sugar drinks could therefore constitute a risk to the health of children, not only in terms of type II diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, but also because of the ingestion of potentially harmful chemicals such as BPA.
Read more
Fasano, E. et al. (2015). “Bisphenol A contamination in soft drinks as a risk for children’s health in Italy.” Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A (published online April 27, 2015).
