Canned Soup Loaded with BPA, Study Finds

Harvard researchers indicate that eating soup and other canned foods could result in a tenfold increase in exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical suspected of disrupting the human endocrine system and possibly causing developmental problems. 

The study found that the amount of BPA detected in people’s urine was 10 times higher after they ate a can of soup each day for five days, when compared to those who ate fresh soup. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Researchers recruited 75 students and staff from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). Some were given five days of canned soup, while others were fed with five days of fresh vegetable soup. Those who ate canned soup saw a 1,221% increase of BPA in their urine.

The amount of BPA found in test subjects’ urine during this latest study was unexpected. The researchers suggested that manufacturers should consider removing BPA from can linings entirely.

BPA is used to make many plastic products hard and shatterproof. Originally developed as a form of synthetic estrogen, it is used in the manufacture of many consumer products, such as bottles, cups, can liners, baby products and other food containers.

Exposure to BPA has long been suspected of causing hormonal changes by impacting the human endocrine system. It has also been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Some prior research has also suggested that BPA side effects can cause developmental abnormalities and other problems over time in infants and young children.