Thu, Dec 6, 2007 (HealthDay) A potentially cancer-causing chemical called bisphenol A is in the lining of most cans of liquid baby formula and the chemical often leaches into the formula at levels that are dangerous for babies, says the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group.

The group recommended that parents avoid liquid baby formula and use powder formula instead until companies line baby formula cans with bisophenol-free resin, the Toronto Star reported.

"Because they eat so much relative to their small size, their exposure is intense," said Sonya Lunder, the group's leader researcher on bisphenol A. "We can't use endocrine-disrupting chemicals in a baby's first food. The formula companies need to take action."

Liquid baby formula in cans is safe and parents shouldn't be concerned, said an association that represents major formula manufacturers, the Star reported.

However, more than 100 independent studies have shown that small doses of the chemical can cause developmental problems, cancer, obesity and early puberty, the Star reported.