Chemicals · Bisphenols
BPA (bisphenol A) in food
A chemical in some hard plastics and can linings that can move into food. FDA background
What's a lot?
EPA's daily reference dose: 50 µg per kg of body weight. That is about 750 µg a day for a 33-lb toddler and 3,500 µg for a 154-lb adult. EPA's estimate of a daily amount unlikely to cause harm over a lifetime, with safety margins built in. Source
EFSA (EU)'s tolerable daily intake: 0 µg per kg a day. EFSA's 2023 limit is 250,000 times lower than EPA's 1988 one; the agencies disagree sharply about BPA. Source
ppb means micrograms per kilogram of food: 100 ppb is 100 µg in 2.2 lb of food. A daily limit is about long-run averages; one high day is not the same as eating it every day.
Foods highest in BPA (bisphenol A)
FDA's Total Diet Study does not report BPA (bisphenol A).
Foods with lab results
198 named foods have published results; the 10 highest are below. Each links to the full record.
| Product | Median | Found in | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spam Canned Meat | 17 ppb | 3 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna | 12 ppb | 3 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| Boba Guys Black Tea Pearls | 6 ppb | 3 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| Boba Guys Fruity Flavored Tea | 4.5 ppb | 3 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| Tap Water with Aquatabs Purification Tablets (after 30min) | 4.3 ppb | 3 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| Boba Guys Black Tea Juice | 2.4 ppb | 3 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| RXBAR 12g Protein Bar Strawberry | 1.9 ppb | 1 of 1 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| Whole Foods Wild Caught Salmon | 1.2 ppb | 3 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| Stanford University Dining Meal (Beans, Chicken, Rice, Cauliflower) | 1.1 ppb | 2 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
| Whole Foods Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon | 1.1 ppb | 2 of 3 | Measured in this product PlasticList |
Supplements, medicines and remedies (9)
Mostly imported remedies tested by health departments during lead-poisoning investigations.
- Athletic Greens AG1 Dietary Supplementmedian <50 ppb, highest – · PlasticList
- Thorne Prenatal DHA Dietary Supplementmedian <10 ppb, highest – · PlasticList
- Thorne Basic Prenatal Dietary Supplementmedian <5 ppb, highest – · PlasticList
- One A Day Womens Prenatal 1 Multivitamin with DHA & Folic Acidmedian <5 ppb, highest – · PlasticList
- Emergen C 1000mg Vitamin C Immune Support Fizzy Drink Mix Orangemedian <5 ppb, highest – · PlasticList
- Nature Made Prenatal Folic Acid + DHA Supplementmedian <5 ppb, highest 5.2 · PlasticList
- Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Double Rich Chocolatemedian <1 ppb, highest – · PlasticList
- Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Chocolate Peanut Buttermedian <1 ppb, highest – · PlasticList
- Sunwarrior Active Creatine Monohydrate Unflavoredmedian <1 ppb, highest – · PlasticList
Historical samples (9)
Decades-old foods, such as 1950s military rations, tested for comparison. Not on sale today.
- Tap Water with Purification Tablets from 1973 (after 30min)median <50 ppb, highest –
- Powdered Milk from 1952 Korean War Rationsmedian <5 ppb, highest –
- Cane Sugar from 1952 Korean War Rationsmedian <5 ppb, highest –
- Cocoa Powder from 1920smedian <5 ppb, highest –
- Ghirardelli Instant Ground Chocolate and Cocoa Powder from 1940smedian <1 ppb, highest –
- Cocoa Powder from 1952 Korean War Rationsmedian <1 ppb, highest –
- Cracker from 1952 Korean War Rationsmedian <1 ppb, highest –
- Milk Chocolate from 1962 Army Rationsmedian <1 ppb, highest –
- Peanut Butter from 1962 Army Rationsmedian <1 ppb, highest –
Levels in people
CDC measures BPA (bisphenol A) in people across the US. Compare a test result with the US population.