The Can Manufacturers Institute, with members manufacturing about 80 per cent of cans produced in the US, said there is no scientific basis for concern that exposure to trace levels of BPA will cause human harm, even in children.

BPA is an additive widely used in plastic packaging and the resin linings of food cans. Previous studies have found that the chemical migrates in small amounts into food and beverages from packaging containing the substance.

Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit environmental research organization providing information to public interest groups, found traces of BPA in 55 of 97 of canned products taken from supermarket shelves in a study published last week.

The group has called upon US regulators to set human exposure limits, as there are currently no safety standards on dosage levels present in food, claims EWG. The European Union has set the most stringent migration limits and recommended human tolerances for BPA.

Robert R. Budway, CMI President, told FoodProductionDaily.com today that based the data in the EWG report against this EU Standard, not a single can of food analyzed exceeded the limit.

"In fact, the single highest value they reported is approximately 10 times lower than the EU allows," he said.

EWG findings add to the body of research on the toxin and fuel growing consumer concerns. The fallout from regulatory and consumer reaction of the scare could lead manufacturers to seek alternatives to using BPA as an additive.

When asked if the industry was looking into reducing BPA levels in packaging or seeking other additives, Budway said: "While I'm not aware of any specifics I'm sure that can manufacturers in conjunction with their coating suppliers are constantly researching new coating technologies to maintain the can as the sustainable package."

The Institute' president said this week that the safety of BPA is well documented and supported by comprehensive peer-reviewed studies designed to detect health risks, even at very low doses.

"The scientific evidence supporting the safety of BPA has been repeatedly and comprehensively examined by numerous government bodies worldwide," he said. "The responsible regulatory authorities in the USA, Canada, European Union and Japan have independently reviewed all the available toxicological information and each has concluded that epoxy can coatings and BPA are safe for their intended uses."

EWG results found about one in ten of samples of food and drink, including pasta, infant formula contained unsafe levels of BPA, according to the group.

The test samples were taken from 30 brands - 27 private and three private label -- from the shelves of three supermarkets across three states.

The group said the "acceptable limit" it used is based on government studies on rodents, with human exposure typically set to between 1000 to 3000 times the levels that harm lab animals.

According to EWG, the 'unsafe' level is less than five times lower than doses that harm lab animals.

The CMI said working on the basis of the US Environmental Protection Agency's safe limit for ingestion, a consumer would have to ingest about 1,425 kg (about 3100 pounds) of food and beverages every day during a 70 year lifetime to exceed the allowable level of the chemical.

"Human exposure to bisphenol A from can coatings is very small - generally less than 0.03 PPM to not detectable - and poses no known health risk," Budway said.

The migration of the chemical from packaging into food is a cause for concern given the findings of previous research that has shown the presence of the chemical in humans.

Scientists have detected BPA in breast milk, serum, saliva, urine, amniotic fluid, and cord blood from at least 2,200 people in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently detected BPA in 95 per cent of nearly 400 US adults and children.

According to EWG, the last comprehensive review of low dose studies found that 94 of 115 of peer-reviewed studies confirmed BPA's toxicity at low levels of exposure.

The findings of EWG, published on March 5, 2008, coincided with a public consultation on the use and effects of BPA held in Virginia, last week.

An independent panel of experts, convened by the Center for Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR) met to identify data gaps and research needs.

EWG however expressed concerns over the integrity of CERHR science and the conflicts of interest on the part of a center contractor, Sciences International (SI).

It claims the SI plays a major management role in CERHR operations while at the same time doing business with a client base that includes manufacturers of chemicals under review by the Center, including BPA.

CERHR is expected to publish its consultation findings shortly. The consultation takes the US a step closer to the European approach on Bisphenol A.

Following extensive research on the harmful effects of the chemical, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set a maximum daily tolerable intake level after considering extensive research that links the chemical to cancer and other illnesses.

A level of 5 milligram/kg body weight of was set, although it was accepted that the average daily intake was 30 per cent of the new limit.

BPA is used to manufacture polycarbonate, a rigid plastic used to make infant feeding bottles, plates, mugs, jugs, beakers, microwave oven ware and storage containers.

It is also used in the production of the epoxy-phenolic resins that form internal protective linings for cans and metal lids. The resins are also used as coatings for water storage tanks and wine vats.

Recent US and Japanese scientific studies caused a scare over BPA in 2005. The US study found low doses of BPA could harm the development of young brains.

Another US study found that BPA increased breast cancer cell growth. The US studies were done on rats.

The Japanese study indicated a link between recurrent miscarriages in women and BPA.