OTTAWA—A new study suggests the majority of food cans stocked in major Canadian retail stores contain bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical linked to health concerns.

Six non-profit groups from Canada and the United States tested 192 cans of food and found 67 per cent had BPA in the epoxy resin of the can lining.

Environmental Defence says that among cans purchased in Canada, 18 of 21 — or 86 per cent — contained BPA, a chemical that can mimic the hormone estrogen.

Health Canada says BPA from food packaging is not a health risk to people, including newborns and children.

However, concerns about the chemical’s effects on developing children spurred the government to ban BPA in plastic baby bottles in 2008 and the chemical was listed as a toxic substance in 2010.

Campbell Soup Co. announced this week that it has begun removing BPA resins from some of its cans and that the company’s full line of products will be BPA-free by the middle of next year.