Toxic chemical found in most canned goods

A new test conducted for Consumer Reports magazine found bisphenol A leaching into food from nearly all cans, including those marked "BPA-free" and "organic." The magazine's tests found that levels of the chemical in many of the cans were comparable to those found to cause cell damage and behavioral effects in animal studies. The results, which are to be published Tuesday in the magazine's December issue, echo those found last year in tests conducted by the Journal Sentinel. Urvashi Rangan, director of technical policy for the Consumers Union, the organization that publishes the magazine, said she got the idea for the tests from the Journal Sentinel article. Rangan said both tests prove that consumers can't know by looking at the can how much BPA is in the food that they are buying. "This shows that our canned food market needs a closer look," Rangan said.