My note:
Since BPA is bio-accumulative (stays in the body), and has been shown to be toxic at very low levels by contributing to, or even causing, autism, hormone disruption and asthma, then NO amount of BPA is safe, least of all to fetuses, babies and women.

Health Canada detects BPA in jarred baby food, water; levels considered safe

Jul. 09, 2009

Provided by: The Canadian Press
Written by: Anne-Marie Tobin, THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - Health Canada testing has detected bisphenol A in baby foods in glass jars with metal lids and in some 18.5-litre polycarbonate bottles of drinking water, but it says the levels are low and pose no health or safety concerns.

Detailed reports on levels of the chemical, also known as BPA, in various products purchased last year in Ottawa were posted on the Health Canada website Thursday.

The baby food survey covered 122 products sold last August under seven brands by six different companies. Among the 99 products where the BPA could be quantified, about 70 per cent had levels of less than one part per billion - well below the migration limit of 600 parts per billion set by a directive for BPA in food.

BPA can migrate from plastic and the plastic linings of metal cans and lids. A plastic coating on the lids prevents corrosion of the metal and contamination of the food.

Studies done in animals show BPA acts like the female hormone estrogen, and has been linked to cancer and infertility. Some environmental groups have called for it to be banned from food packaging.

The government has already taken action to forbid the sale in Canada of polycarbonate plastic baby bottles that contain bisphenol A.

Details released Thursday showed the BPA levels in different baby food products ranged from 0.19 part per billion to a high of 7.22 parts per billion in one particular brand of strained organic carrots.

The variation could be due to the differences in metal lid coatings or sterilization conditions - temperature and duration - used for different baby food products, the report said.

"The results of this survey clearly indicate that exposure to BPA through the consumption of jarred baby food products would be extremely low," the Health Canada analysis said.

"The low levels of BPA found in jarred baby products available for sale in Canada confirms Health Canada's previous assessment conclusion that the current dietary exposure to BPA through food packaging uses is not expected to pose a health risk to the consumer."

Another survey of 38 canned powdered infant formula products did not detect bisphenol A in any of them, Health Canada said.

For the bottled water survey, researchers looked at samples of 54 different products sold under 21 brands by 16 companies. They were purchased in Ottawa stores in April 2008.

The containers were made of metal, glass, high-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate.

Levels of BPA from the non-polycarbonate water products were below the "method detection limit" of 0.5 part per billion. But bisphenol A was detected in 13 of 17 samples from four of the five polycarbonate bottled water products.

Concentrations ranged from 0.5 to a high of 8.82 parts per billion, with an average of 1.5 parts per billion.

"Since migration of BPA from PC containers into water at room temperature is very slow, it is likely that the products with higher BPA were exposed to heat (e.g., under the sun) during storage and/or transportation," the report said.

At a level of 1.5 parts per billion, an adult weighing 60 kilograms would have to consume about 1,000 litres of bottled water in one day to approach Health Canada's provisional tolerable daily intake.

"As you can just imagine, it's just impossible for the average person to drink 1,000 litres of bottled water a day," Elizabeth Griswold, executive director of the Canadian Bottled Water Association, said in an interview.

Studies have shown that high temperatures can cause bisphenol A to migrate from the plastic.

Griswold said the association recommends that bottled water be kept at room temperature and not be exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight.

"CBWA certainly applauds Health Canada on their research that clearly shows that bottled water is safe for everyone," she said. "And even the sample that did show it was high, it was well below any amount that would cause concern."

A University of Guelph study has found that the chemical lingers in the bodies of newborns and infants, and they may have up to 11 times as much BPA in their bodies as adults.

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On the Net:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/packag-emball/bpa/index-eng.php