October 30, 2008

1 Min Read
FDA says BPA is safe -- public outcry

The Science Board Subcommittee, a consortium of government and academic scientists, released a statement today condemning the FDA for what it called an inadequate safety assessment of bisphenol A (BPA) -- an additive found in plastic. (Read the Washington Post's story, "BPA Ruling Flawed.") The chemical has been under fire a lot lately -- recent research shows that BPA may contribute to the risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Still, the FDA has refused to acknowledge that the chemical, which humans are exposed to in food and drink containers, poses a risk to consumers. A toxicologist for the Consumer's Union -- the consumer watchdog group that publishes Consumer Reports -- had this to say:

"The FDA has failed to take hundreds of studies into account in assessing the safety of BPA. The Subcommittee's report shows that FDA's current assessment that BPA is safe is not adequately supported by the science. While the government considers what to do next, consumers should not have to ingest BPA at constant levels that have been demonstrated to be harmful in animals. We hope that FDA will ban the use of BPA in food and beverage containers."

The Canadian government outlawed BPA in baby bottles earlier this year.

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