In analyzing canned goods, Consumer Reports has found measurable levels of the chemical additive bisphenol A in canned tuna labeled as “BPA-free.”
Published in the December issue and on its Web site, the test results showed samples of Vital Choice canned tuna labeled as “BPA-free” contained an average of 20 parts per billion of BPA, despite the fact that tests show the interior can liners were not epoxy-based.
Additionally, the test results showed samples of StarKist Chunk Light canned tuna contained an average of 3 ppb of BPA, but BPA levels in the same brand in a plastic pouch weren’t measurable.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s current guidelines put the daily limit of safe exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. Consumer Reports scientists recommend limiting daily exposure to one-thousandth of that level, or 0.0024 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.
