Meat linked to chemical exposure

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) yesterday (25 July) published its draft scientific opinion on consumer exposure to BPA from all sources, and found that diet was the main source of exposure for all population groups. It found that canned food and non-canned meat were the two main dietary contributors in the majority of countries.

The study revealed that canned meat was one of seven out of 17 canned food categories that had a BPA concentration above 30 μg/kg. Among the non-canned food categories, meat and meat products had the highest BPA 9.4 μg/kg, with fish and other seafood found to have average concentrations of 7.4 μg/kg.

EFSA stated that any BPA to which livestock were exposed was likely to be present in their tissues, and that BPA could also migrate into meat from contact with packaging containing the chemical, or with articles used during processing of the meat.

EFSA has now launched a public consultation on the draft opinion, which will conclude on 15 September. However, it said it considered its estimates of dietary exposure to BPA as “robust”.​

Health dangers​

Exposure to BPA, which has been used in the production of food cans and containers since the 1960s, has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities, as well as neurological and hormonal problems in foetuses and young children.

EFA completed a risk assessment of BPA as a food contact material in 2006 and set a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) – which indicates how much could be ingested daily over a lifetime without risk – of 0.05 mg/kg bw/day.

However, following further scientific studies in 2012, the Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF) decided to undertake a full re-evaluation of the human risks associated with BPA exposure through the diet.

This draft opinion was the first stage of the review, with the second opinion to focus on the potential human health risks of BPA.