In a press release published on June 30, 2017, the non-profit organization Center for Environmental Health (CEH) informed that it has provided additional information relating to its “Kicking the can” report, originally released in May 2017. This report looked at the presence of bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7) in the coating of food cans sold by several major U.S. retailers (FPF reported).
The newly added information contains the results of a survey of cans sold at small and/or ethnic groceries in California, U.S., including Safeway, Harris Teeter, Shaw’s, Fred Meyer, and Ralph’s. In this new survey, BPA was found in 71 out of 78 cans analyzed in total. This finding starkly contrasts the situation at major retailers, where only about 40% of cans were found to contain BPA. CEH further emphasized that only 3 of the 71 products that tested positive for BPA were found listed in the California’s Proposition65 BPA database intended to warn consumers about BPA-containing products.
Michael Green, CEO of CEH, said that their tests revealed “a terribly alarming situation for consumers who buy canned food from ethnic grocery stores,” and added that the exemption of canned foods from being listed in BPA warnings database “fails to consider the health risks to . . . communities.” He therefore called on the State administration to “immediately withdraw this exemption and insure that all Californians are protected from this risky chemical in our food.”
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CEH (June 30, 2017). “Statewide testing finds more than 90% of canned foods from ethnic groceries contain the toxic chemical BPA.”
CEH (updated June 30, 2017). “New report – Canned foods still expose Americans to BPA.”
Chemical Watch (July 7, 2017). “BPA use remains high in U.S. independent stores, NGO finds. ”
