FDA Backtracks On BPA Stance
In a reversal from its previous position, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it will more closely study the effects of the chemical bisphenol-A, commonly known as BPA. In a statement released Friday, the FDA expressed "some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children." As recently as 2008, the agency said BPA, which is often used as a component in plastic bottles, was safe. "I think this is all about erring on the side of safety and being assured there's no issue," says Kippie Helzel, vice president of sales at CPS/Keystone. "Our products have always been BPA-free. There's enough of a buzz about the issue that distributors ask for BPA-free products."
In use since the 1960s, BPA can be generally found in hard plastic bottles, usually marked with a 7 on the bottom. The chemical was once used in baby bottles, as well, but has been phased out by major manufacturers that say BPA can seep into food. Reacting to studies that have found BPA to be harmful to animals, many companies, including industry suppliers, now produce BPA-free bottles. "After reports about BPA possibly being unsafe, maybe two years ago, there was an overall sales drop-off for those products," says James Canning, vice president of marketing at Gold Bond . "We've now gone away from products that have BPA. We offer BPA-free drinkware and the response has been great. They were our best sellers in 2009."
To study BPA, the government will spend $30 million on human and animal research over the next 18 to 24 months. Although the FDA has agreed to monitor and test the chemical, the agency is cautioning its new research is not a signal that BPA is necessarily dangerous. "If we thought it was unsafe, we would be taking strong regulatory action," said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, deputy commissioner of the FDA. As of now, the FDA has not banned BPA or any products that contain the chemical.
FDA Backtracks on BPA stance
