Jury Still Out at FDA on Toxic Plastic Additive BPA
If you were expecting the Food and Drug Administration to issue its long-awaited decision on the safety of the plastic chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) yesterday as promised, well, just keep on waiting.
The November 30 deadline came and went without a peep from the FDA, which earlier this year had vowed to release the results of its most recent study of BPA, a chemical used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, food packaging, and other plastics, by the end of the month.
Countless scientific studies have linked exposure to BPA to cancers, diabetes, reproductive problems, neurological damage in children and others. Some children and adults accumulate dangerously high levels of BPA in their blood after years of eating and drinking from cups and using other consumer products containing BPA.
For example, recent research has found BPA exposure can result in impotence in men and aggressive behavior in young girls.
FDA Needs More Time on BPA
According to various media reports, the FDA needs more time to continue its evaluation of the scientific evidence on BPA before announcing a ruling.
Last year, FDA officials testified before Congress and said existing scientific research seems to support a finding that BPA is safe when used at currently approved levels.
“A large body of available evidence indicates that food contact materials containing BPA currently on the market are safe, and that exposure levels to BPA from these materials, including the exposure to infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects,” said Norris Alderson, the FDA’s former associate commissioner for science.
However, increasing criticism over the FDA’s handling of BPA from consumers rights and public health officials as well as more recent research could force the agency to change its position regarding the continued use of the chemical.
Critics Attack FDA’s Stance
Some critics have accused the FDA of being led by the nose by the chemical industry in forming its position on BPA. Several states and Canadian officials have enacted their own bans on children’s products containing BPA due to concerns about the long-term health consequences for infants and toddlers who play with toys or drink from bottles and sippy cups containing BPA.
Also, the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency recently said they are going to conduct their own evaluations of the safety and environmental impacts of BPA in the coming months.
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