Gray zone warfare in German hypermarkets: Cans that cause infertility more widespread

gray zone warfare

Canned soup, fish, tomatoes, or coconut milk can save you when you're hungry but short on time and help diversify your menu with items that aren't available seasonally or geographically.

However, the recent results of the main German foundation for the independent examination of goods and services "Stiftung Warentest" cut the appetite and cause alarm. Independent experts examined 58 cans sold in German supermarkets. Bisphenol A (BPA) was found in the vast majority of them (51 cans), informs the Foundation "Stiftung Warentest" in the May issue of its consumer magazine "Test", reports DEUTSCHE WELLE.

This substance can cause serious health effects

"Bisphenol A, among other things, can affect the reproductive system, its effects being similar to those of hormones" - explains Swantje Waterstraat, an employee of the publication, in an interview given to the AFP news agency.

Bisphenol A is structurally similar to estrogen and can cause endocrine disruption and, in particular, infertility. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) classifies Bisphenol A as a chemical of "very high concern" for experts.

In 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reduced the permissible level of consumption of this substance by 20,000 times. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) also reduced the figure, but less drastically.

Another EU watchdog, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), does not see the same degree of danger from BPA. Last spring, the EMA criticized EFSA's methodology as too hasty, as no causal link had been proven in either animal or human studies.