A study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environemt Epidemiology published last September reports that schools are exposing kids to potentially dangerous levels of toxic chemicals from food packaging. This is the effect of the school's efforts to streamline food preparation at the same time meet federal nutrition and keeping costs low.
As reported in Forbes, the study was done by Jennifer Hartle, a Stanford University postdoctoral research fellow, and her colleagues from John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers dimply visited school's kitchens and interview food service staff.
As expected, the researchers found that kids were offered fruits and vegetables that had been packaged in cans and plastics. In turn, small amounts of chemical bisphenol A (BPA) are transferred from the packaging into the food. This could allegedly pose a serious health risk to children.
"Exposure scenarios were based on United States school nutrition guidelines and included meals with varying levels of exposure potential from canned and packaged food."
The researchers' claim is that even small amounts of the chemical BPA in food packaging can be harmful by causing hormone disruption. The FDA on the other hand, which regulates these substances as indirect food additives, together with food safety agencies around the world have claimed to have thoroughly investigated the issue and came to a different conclusion.
"FDA acknowledges the interest that many consumers have in the safe use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging. FDA has performed extensive research and reviewed hundreds of studies about BPA's safety. We reassure consumers that current approved uses of BPA in food containers and packaging are safe."
According to the EPA, 50 micrograms per kilo of body weight is a safe intake level. Thus, a more accurate conclusion would be, "students could be getting anywhere from a barely detectable amount of BPA up to a still-negligible 1.19 micrograms per kilogram of body weight-less than one-twenty-fifth of the amount felt to be safe."
Forbes makes emphasis on the material that talk about health risks especially to children. Know the truth behind studies published and reported. For this article, it is safe to conclude that schools do not expose kids to exceeding levels of BPA that is against federal standards. It is too low to have an effect on a child.
