The Harvard School of Public Health just released a new study confirming the risk of BPA (bisphenol A), a chemical common to plastic and canned foods (pet and human foods). Participants in the Harvard study showed a two-thirds increase in their urine of BPA. Exposure to BPA has been scientifically linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The FDA continues to stand firm on the side of big industry with BPA, existing FDA regulations continue to allow BPA in everything from baby bottles to pet food can linings. On the flip side of the FDA, modern research, including the latest study from Harvard continues to show the risks of BPA. “We found that drinking cold liquids from polycarbonate bottles for just one week increased urinary BPA levels by more than two-thirds. If you heat those bottles, as is the case with baby bottles, we would expect the levels to be considerably higher,” states Karin Michels of Harvard. The ‘heat’ issue is of huge concern for pet owners with canned dog and cat foods.
Canning is a method of preserving food. The canning process often heats the pet food after it is ‘canned’ to high temperatures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canning Thus, pet food cans containing BPA in the lining are believed to contain higher levels of BPA that have leeched into the dog food or cat food. In turn, exposing the pet to serious health risks.
The Harvard study press release confirms the above belief. “One of the study’s strengths, the authors note, is that the students drank from the bottles in a normal use setting. Additionally, the students did not wash their bottles in dishwashers nor put hot liquids in them; heating has been shown to increase the leaching of BPA from polycarbonate, so BPA levels might have been higher had students drunk hot liquids from the bottles.” http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2009-releases/bpa-chemical-plastics-leach-polycarbonate-drinking-bottles-humans.html
Thankfully, there are some pet food manufacturers that are well aware of the risk of BPA in pet food can linings. These conscientious pet food makers use cans that do not contain a BPA lining; at this time, only small pet food cans are available without BPA in the lining. Some manufacturers ONLY sell canned foods in the small size; because of the BPA risk, they do not even make or offer pet food in the larger BPA lined can. Do not assume that all small cans of dog food or cat food do not contain BPA; it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. If you provide your dog or cat with canned food, please contact the manufacturer and ask if their cans contain BPA or bisphenol A in the can lining. You could be saving your pet from serious disease by doing so.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author, Buyer Beware
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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