Poultry consumption, preparation methods for animal-based foods, and urinary bisphenol concentrations in Korean...

The aim of this study was to examine associations between preparation methods for animal-based foods and urinary concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS) in Korean adults.

We analysed data from 4,201 adults who participated in the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2018-2020). Urinary BPA, BPF, and BPS concentrations were measured and standardised for urinary dilution using the covariate-adjusted standardisation method. Preparation methods were categorised as rarely consumed, raw, grilled/roasted, boiled/steamed, or fried/stir-fried. Survey-weighted logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for high exposure, defined as concentrations at or above the 75th percentile, stratified by sex.

Among men, poultry consumption was associated with higher odds of elevated BPA across grilled/roasted (OR, 2.51; 95% CI: 1.28-4.92), boiled/steamed (OR, 2.62; 95% CI: 1.58-4.36), and fried/stir-fried preparations (OR, 2.22; 95% CI: 1.32-3.75). Pork consumption showed inverse associations with BPA. Among women, fried/stir-fried poultry was associated with higher BPF concentrations (OR, 1.85; 95% CI: 1.09-3.12). Sensitivity analyses supported the main findings, particularly the poultry-related associations with BPA among men and BPF among women.

Preparation patterns for animal-based foods were associated with urinary bisphenol concentrations in Korean adults. Poultry-related associations were observed for BPA among men and BPF among women; however, the cross-sectional design and the lack of direct information on food sources, processing, and packaging preclude causal or packaging-specific interpretations.