Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
December 23, 2016
Researchers at the University of Missouri recently conducted a short-term study regarding bisphenol-A (BPA) in canned dog food.
While BPA is known to cause a number of negative health effects (it is for instance, an endocrine-disrupting chemical), it is also ubiquitous in the environment.
The goal of the study was essentially two-fold: first, it was to determine whether or not short term exposure to BPA could significantly increase the levels present in the body. Second, it was to use the study population (in this case, dogs) as potential indicators of the presence and effects on humans.
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For the study, healthy dog owners volunteered their pets to be fed with one of two common commercial canned food brands for two weeks; one diet was presumed to be BPA-free. Blood and fecal samples were collected prior and presumably after the feedings.
Caption: Rosenfeld and her team assessed BPA contained within pet food cans. They also analyzed whether disturbances in bacteria found in the gut and metabolic changes could be associated with exposure to BPA from the canned food. Credit: Cheryl Rosenfeld
