Canned food leads to rise in BPA levels: study

A new study has found that daily day consumption of canned food items may lead to the rise of compound bisphenol A (BPA) levels in urine.

People who consume a serving of canned soup every day for five days had BPA levels of 20.8 micrograms per litre of urine, while people who took fresh soup had levels of 1.1mg a litre, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The report suggests a 1,221% jump in BPA levels in the average participant who ate canned soup, compared with those who had fresh soup.

Study leader Karin Michels said in the general population levels have been found to be around one to two micrograms per litre.

In an ongoing study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it was found that levels higher than 13mg a litre were detected in only the top 5% of participants in the National Health and Examination Survey.

The EU has already banned the chemical from usage in baby bottles but it is still used in cans as a coating to prevent rusting and to keep food fresh.