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FDA Says BPA Is Safe—At Least for Now
May 15, 2008 01:51 PM
The FDA tells consumers not to worry about a controversial chemical found in plastic water and baby bottles.
30-Second Summary
Norris Alderson, the FDA’s associate commissioner for science, says that the agency is currently reviewing the safety of chemical bisphenol A (BPA), but “a large body of evidence” suggests that products made with it are safe.
BPA is commonly found in hard plastic products such as some baby and water bottles, safety equipment, medical devices, and the coating in most food and beverage cans. People can consume the chemical when it leaches out of the plastic into the liquid or food inside the container.
Public concern about the chemical heightened in April when the U.S. National Toxicology Program issued a report saying that even low levels of the chemical could be harmful to young children and fetuses. The data was based on animal studies.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and other Democratic senators in April introduced a bill that would ban BPA in children’s products. “Parents always err on the side of caution when it comes to their kids’ health. We think that the law should do the same,” Schumer said.
But during testimony before a Senate subcommittee, Alderson said that two industry-funded studies conducted by the FDA determined products containing BPA are safe to use.
BPA is commonly found in hard plastic products such as some baby and water bottles, safety equipment, medical devices, and the coating in most food and beverage cans. People can consume the chemical when it leaches out of the plastic into the liquid or food inside the container.
Public concern about the chemical heightened in April when the U.S. National Toxicology Program issued a report saying that even low levels of the chemical could be harmful to young children and fetuses. The data was based on animal studies.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and other Democratic senators in April introduced a bill that would ban BPA in children’s products. “Parents always err on the side of caution when it comes to their kids’ health. We think that the law should do the same,” Schumer said.
But during testimony before a Senate subcommittee, Alderson said that two industry-funded studies conducted by the FDA determined products containing BPA are safe to use.
Headline Link: BPA “safe,” says FDA
Alderson said that while the FDA’s safety review of BPA is ongoing there is no reason to tell consumers to stop using products made with the chemical. He also said similar products made without BPA are available.
Source: Reuters
Background: The National Toxicology Program report
In April, the National Toxicology Program issued a report saying there is “some concern” about the safety of the chemical bisphenol A, found in many plastics, including baby bottles. Canadian stores began removing products containing BPA from their shelves following the report.
Source: findingDulcinea
After the National Toxicology Program report was released, a consumer filed a lawsuit against the maker of Nalgene water bottles over the presence of BPA in the company’s hard plastic bottles. In the suit, Lani Felix-Lozano does not say if she or her family suffered any physical problems brought on by the bottles.
Source: findingDulcinea
Avoiding BPA
Avoiding BPA can be challenging, according to The Washington Post, but some advice includes washing hard plastic bottles by hand, not in the dishwasher; eating more fresh or frozen foods to avoid the BPA found in canned food linings, and using polycarbonate plastic bottles for cold or room-temperature fluids only.
Source: The Washington Post (free registration may be required)
U.S. News and World Report provides a list of where to find BPA-free products.
Source: U.S. News and World Report
Opinion & Analysis: Common sense or “hysteria”?
University of Minnesota newspaper Minnesota Daily suggests being careful with plastics that contain BPA, but not overzealous: “We don’t suggest that everyone who owns a Nalgene bottle stampede to toss them in the recycling bin, but it’s always better to err on the side of caution. If yours is damaged, it may be time to retire it, and it would be wise to avoid putting it in the microwave or dishwasher where the heat could release toxins.”
Source: Minnesota Daily
But Gilbert Ross, head of the American Council on Science and Health, said in the Washington Times: “There is no cause for concern, much less alarm, over the tiny exposures we face from plastic bottles made with BPA. The hysteria, aggravated by reports of moms nationwide throwing out ‘toxic’ baby bottles with the number 7 on them, is based (as usual) on rat tests and ‘general themes’ of toxicity, rather than on anything approaching scientific evidence.”
Source: The Washington Times
Related Topics: Senators want BPA banned
Five Democratic senators have filed legislation to ban BPA from all children’s products. “As the evidence mounts about BPA’s health risks, the first thing we should do is take this chemical out of children’s products,’’ said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. “Parents should be able to give their kids a drink without wondering whether the baby bottle or sippee cup will make their child sick.”
Source: The Boston Globe
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