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Trump delivers profanity, below-the-belt digs at Catholic charity banquet; Poll finds Harris leads among Black voters in key states; Puerto Rican parish leverages solar power to build climate resilience hub; TN expands SNAP assistance to residents post-Helene; New report offers solutions for CT's 'disconnected' youth.

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Longtime GOP members are supporting Kamala Harris over Donald Trump. Israel has killed the top Hamas leader in Gaza. And farmers debate how the election could impact agriculture.

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New rural hospitals are becoming a reality in Wyoming and Kansas, a person who once served time in San Quentin has launched a media project at California prisons, and a Colorado church is having a 'Rocky Mountain High.'

Report: Toxic Chemicals May Taint Canned Foods

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Wednesday, March 30, 2016   

HARTFORD, Conn. - Chemicals in the linings of most food cans may be dangerous to consumers. That's the finding of a new report just released by six nonprofit groups.

They tested nearly 200 cans from 19 states distributed to some major retailers by producers including Campbell's, Del Monte and General Mills.

Mike Schade, Mind the Store campaign director for the group Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, says two thirds of the cans where lined with an epoxy containing Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical.

"This is a chemical that is in the food packaging, and studies have shown it can migrate out of the cans and get into the food we eat, eventually make its way into our bodies and may be harmful to our health," says Schade.

The report recommends that consumers buy fresh fruits and vegetables, look for alternative packaging, such as glass jars, or buy only from manufacturers that disclose the safety of their can linings.

As Schade points out, the health consequences of exposure to BPA can be serious.

"Studies have linked exposure to BPA to breast and prostate cancer, infertility, diabetes, obesity and other serious health problems on the rise," he says.

Just two days before the report was released, Campbell's announced it will be packaging all its products for sale in the U.S. and Canada in BPA-free cans by mid-2017.

However, Schade says simply getting rid BPA in the linings is no guarantee of safety. Some companies are substituting other ingredients that may also be harmful.

"We found other toxic materials, like PVC plastic and styrene-based resins, in the can linings of many popular brands," says Schade.

The report calls on retailers and manufactures to commit to eliminating harmful lining materials, and disclose the safety data about the chemicals used in packaging.


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