Toxic Nation | Pollution. It's In You.

Health Canada testing has found bisphenol A (BPA) in jarred baby food with metal lids and some polycarbonate bottles of drinking water. The compound was detected in 84% of samples.

The federal agency says the levels are too low to pose health concerns, even though the highest levels were comparable to the analysis that last year prompted the government to ban the chemical in polycarbonate plastic baby bottles. Numerous independent studies have shown that BPA mimics estrogen in the body and is linked to developmental and reproductive disorders at very low concentrations.

The chemical was detected in 84 of the 99 baby food jars tested, and in 13 of 17 samples from 4 of the 5 polycarbonate bottled water products. The levels of BPA found in the glass jars of baby food are thought to have come from the plastic coatings that line metal jar lids.

Environmental Defence has been pushing the government to remove BPA from all food and beverage containers and packaging. Rick Smith remarked, “after having taken steps to ban BPA in baby bottles, it’s difficult to see how you justify not banning it from other similarly dangerous sources.”

To read more about the study, check out the following articles:
Health Canada detects BPA in jarred baby food – The Canadian Press
Bisphenol A found in baby food in glass jars: survey – The Globe and Mail