ND1209115

Title: FDA Will Decide on BPA Ban in March

Description: The agency will rule on whether the chemical used in food and drink packaging is harmful to youngsters and fetuses.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. ? By March 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will make its decision on whether to ban bisphenol A (BPA) as part of a settlement relating to a lawsuit, the Chicago Tribune reports. BPA has been used for years to manufacturer plastic and epoxy resin that in turn is found in drink and food packaging.

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) had filed a petition in 2008, asking the FDA to ban BPA in food packaging, food containers and any other material likely to come in contact with food. Two years later, the council sued in court to get the agency to respond, and this settlement is the result.

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?Every day, millions of American consumers are exposed to this dangerous chemical, commonly used in packaging for canned foods, beverages and even baby formula,? said Dr. Sarah Janssen, a senior scientist in the Environment and Public Health program at NRDC, in a press release. ?The FDA has an obligation to protect us from toxic food additives. As thousands of studies have already shown, BPA is a dangerous chemical that has no place in the food chain. Its use in food and beverage containers needs to be banned.?

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BPA can be found in the linings of beer or soda cans, vegetable or soup cans and liquid infant formula containers as well as consumer products made from polycarbonate plastics, including reusable water bottles. Consumer demand has already driven baby bottles and sippy cups containing the hormone-disrupting chemical from store shelves, but the exposure from food packaging remains.

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Last year, Canada ruled that the chemical was a toxic substance and banned it from inclusion in baby bottles. Europe also bans BPA in baby bottles.

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Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising

Formatted Article Date: December 9, 2011

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