FDA expresses "some concern" over BPA
Today the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an update to its position on BPA (bisphenol-A), the toxic chemical that we are exposed to through baby bottles, sippy cups, infant formula and food can linings and many other sources.
FDA states that there is "some concern" about the safety of BPA for humans, and that they will work with other agencies to conduct further research. In conjunction with the FDA announcement, the US Department of Health and Human Services posted tips for parents to minimize children's exposure (such as to dispose of scratched or worn baby bottles).
The agency was criticized by its own science review panel for its 2008 determination that products containing BPA were safe but the new announcement says,"Recent studies provide reason for some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children."
It is a step forward that FDA now considers BPA to be a chemical of concern, and is now supporting industry to stop producing baby bottles, cups and infant formula packaging that contains BPA. Where the announcement falls short is that it does not take any steps to remove BPA from the store shelves and in terms of useful advice on how to get this hazard out of your home, it leaves parents hanging. It could suggest suggest glass bottles or stainless steel as a safer alternative but the best it does is to tell parents to keep hot water out of the bottles and discard them if they are scratched. In addition these tips and others are so mixed in with warnings about food safety that they are very confusing to follow.
Read the tips from the Department of Health and Human Services
Action needed from Massachusetts
More than ever, it's clear that Governor Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health need to take action to regulate the sale of childrens products, including infant formula cans, that contain BPA. FDA's announcement has confirmed that there is reason to act to protect health, but it will be years before FDA takes that action itself, if ever.
What you can do nowKeep this conversation going and turn this announcement into a public cry for action:
- Write letters to the editor of the Boston Globe and your local paper responding to the FDA announcement and calling for further action from the Department of Public Health.
- Write a comment on the Boston Globe's Green Blog post about this announcement to call for action from DPH
- Post our ask on your Facebook page, Twitter feed, or blog.
For more information on how to help, send us an email
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