Canned soup
Cans of Campbell's Soup are stocked on a shelf at a grocery store in Phoenix, Arizona, February 22, 2010. Campbell's Soup Co has been having a tough time getting its soups from the store shelf to the home pantry. Campbell's U.S. soup sales fell 8 percent during the usually strong late fall and winter months, the company said on Monday. While the economy remains weak, shoppers are being lured by other prepared foods such as frozen dinners, that may be promoted at lower prices. Reuters

Canned kid's food may offer colorful packaging and hassle-free preparation, but a study alleges they are also full of toxins called BPA that may be dangerous to your child's health.

Researchers from the Breast Cancer Fund found the presence of BPA, a toxin that has been linked to cancer, in six different products marketed at children.

These included:

  • Annie's Homegrown Cheesy Ravioli
  • Campbell's Disney Princess Cool Shapes, Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth
  • Campbell's Spaghettios with Meatballs
  • Campbell's Toy Story Fun Shapes, Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth
  • Chef Boyardee Whole Grain Pasta, Mini ABC's & 123's with Meatballs
  • Earth's Best Organic Elmo Noodlemania Soup

Campell's Disney Princess product tested the highest, together with Toy Story, the report found.

BPA toxins have been linked to many health issues including breast cancer and developmental problems for children undergoing puberty.

According to the Breast Cancer Fund, BPA can be extremely disruptive to the body's hormonal system. The continuous serving of BPA can have serious consequences on the health of children as they develop.

To test the products the Breast Cancer Fund sent 12 canned food items to an independent testing laboratory in San Francisco. BPA levels were tested in each food using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS).

The Breast Cancer Fund urge parents to stop serving their children from these cans, urging them that BPA is not found on labels and counters any description on the packaging that the meal is healthy or organic.

There should be no place for toxic chemicals linked to breast cancer and other serious health problems in our children's food. You may be familiar with BPA -free baby bottle and sports water bottles, but there is no widely available BPA-free option for canned food, the fund wrote.

Here are some alternatives for canned food suggested by the Breast Cancer Fund:

Dry Pasta: One great and inexpensive alternative to canned pasta is cooking dry pasta and mixing it with fresh or jarred sauce. Dry pastas come in a variety of shapes and colors, making meal time fun for kids. It is easy to make large batches and separate portions into smaller containers for later use. Another inexpensive option is boxed macaroni and cheese, which is now widely available in a variety of brands and options, including organics.

Frozen Pasta: You can find a variety of heat-and-serve pasta meals in the frozen-food aisle. Just make sure to take the food out of the plastic bag or tray before heating, as it's always best to avoid heating any plastic in the microwave.

Soup: Many soups now come in containers called Tetra Paks: they look like giant juice boxes. Tetra Paks are re-sealable, so you can just pop the container in the refrigerator after opening. It used to be hard to find anything other than broth in Tetra Paks, but you can now find all kinds of soups, including chicken and rice, black bean, vegetable, and chunky tomato, making the transition to BPA-free soups easy and affordable.

Fruit: The best BPA-free alternative to canned fruit is dried or fresh fruit. An added bonus to moving away from canned fruits is that they often contain added sugar, so cutting out the BPA might also help you cut calories. Frozen fruit is also a great option to use in smoothies or in baking if fresh isn't available.

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