FDA Study Finds BPA in 90 Percent of Canned Foods

You've heard the news from the scientific and concerned consumer community for a long time now. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is present in a ton of food packaging despite the fact that numerous studies link the hormone-disrupting chemical to myriad health problems. Now, finally, you can hear this information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), too.

The agency's scientists confirmed this week what we've all known for a long time: If canned foods and beverages contain BPA in their linings, the stuff most likely will leach out and contaminate the foods and beverages held inside. But even if the evidence of BPA in our food was a predictable outcome, the rate at which the FDA found it in products is still startling: More than 90 percent of samples taken in the study were tainted with BPA.

Perhaps the FDA should give Coca-Cola executives a call and tell them about the agency's recent discovery. Despite all of the evidence to the contrary, Coca-Cola execs claim that they have no concerns about the safety of their sodas' packaging even though their cans are lined with BPA. Maybe the company's leaders should lend an ear to their own shareholders — 25 percent of them recently voted to approve a resolution that would remove BPA from Coke can linings before execs shot the resolution down.

BPA has been tied to a laundry list of health concerns. The chemical is a hormone disruptor that's been linked to early onset puberty, childhood asthma, diabetes, cancer, obesity, reproductive problems, and heart disease, just to name a few. The FDA admitted that its own scientists had concerns about the substance well before the agency released this most recent study. Canada considers BPA to be a toxic substance, and several countries have banned the chemical in baby products. Basically, the body of evidence showcasing BPA's dangers continues to grow, while Coca-Cola execs put on increasingly large blinders.

With study after study linking BPA to health problems and with the FDA proving that the chemical is incredibly prevalent in our food supply, it's irresponsible of Coca-Cola to insist that everything is OK. Sign our petition, and let Coca-Cola execs know that you want BPA out of soda cans.

Photo credit: Bludgeoner86 via Flickr