The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently published the results of three targeted sampling and testing assignments to determine the presence of Bisphenol A (BPA) and undeclared allergens in select foods at retail. In the two undeclared allergen surveys, CFIA found undeclared allergens in 8 percent of chicken product samples and subsequently recalled five products. In the BPA survey, CFIA detected BPA and BPA analogues in 41 percent of samples but did not issue any recalls as a result.

BPA and BPA Analogues Found in More Than One-Third of Targeted Samples

BPA/Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE)  is commonly used to coat the inside of food cans; however, as industry faces regulatory and consumer pressures to move away from the use of BPA due to growing knowledge about its harms to human health, manufacturers have turned to the use of analogue chemicals and other bisphenols like Bisphenol F (BPF) and Bisphenol S (BPS). Limited data is available concerning the use of BPA alternatives in canned and bottled foods. To fill this knowledge gap, CFIA tested for BPF and BPS alongside BPA in its targeted survey of canned and jarred foods.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, CFIA collected 353 samples of canned and jarred foods from retail stores in 11 cities across Canada. The samples collected included coconut milk, infant formula, ready-to-eat (RTE) curry products, meat, pasta, soup, and jarred infant food.

BPA and other analogue chemicals were detected in 33 percent and 8 percent of the samples, respectively. BPS was not detected in any samples. The highest average and maximum BPA levels were found in canned food samples, and the lowest were found in infant foods. The results of this survey were comparable to the results of previous surveys.

Because maximum levels for BPA, BPF, BPS, and BADGE have not been established, Health Canada determined whether levels of these chemicals in any samples posed a human health risk on a case-by-case basis, using the most current scientific data. Health Canada determined that none of the samples posed an unacceptable human health concern, therefore no recalls resulted from the survey.

Undeclared Allergens and Gluten Found in Chicken Products

Between April 2022 and March 2023, CFIA conducted two targeted surveys to obtain baseline information about the presence of undeclared allergens and gluten in chicken products.

In the first survey, CFIA tested 259 samples, 20 of which were found to contain undeclared gluten and allergens such as soy, sesame, egg, and milk proteins beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) and casein. In the second survey, CFIA tested 345 samples, 29 of which were found to contain gluten and allergens.

All positive samples were forwarded to the CFIA’s Office of Food Safety and Recall (OFSR) to determine if the levels found would pose a health concern to allergic individuals. Due to the risk to human health, recalls were issued for three of the products sampled in the first survey and two of the products sampled in the second survey.