Chemical in soup tins could increase diabetes risk, says study

Thu, 24 Nov 2011
A new study has claimed that a chemical used in the manufacture of soup tins and other metal food containers could increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. The chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), is used in the lining of soup tins to stop them from rusting, and has already been banned from use in baby bottles by the EU.

The researchers have warned that consuming canned soup for only five days could result in a large increase in levels of the chemical in the body. BPA mimics hormones in the body, and is called the gender-bending chemical, as it can interfere with the way hormones are processed.

The study, carried out at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and published in the Journal of the Medical Association, involved 75 participants that were put into two groups, one which consumed a 350ml tin of soup each day for five days, while the other group ate the same amount of soup but which was made using fresh ingredients.

It was found that BPA levels in urine samples of those who had just finished their five days of tinned soup were over 1,200 per cent higher than for those who ate the fresh soup.

Study author Jenny Carwile said "We've known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body. This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use."

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