Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Credit: FDA
SUNDAY August 17, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- It's bisphenol
A time again.
The Food and Drug
Administration said on Friday that the agency will hold a public meeting next
month to discuss the safety of a chemical commonly used in baby bottles and
food containers such as beverage bottles and linings of canned food including
baby formula cans.
The chemical of concern has worried environmental groups
which say that bisphenol A (BPA) can hurt children and animals while regulators
in the US and Europe as well as the plastics industry say it is safe to use.
Studies suggest that even at incredibly low levels this
chemical can cause an effect on young animals. The National Toxicology Program,
part of the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health, agreed in a draft
report that bisphenol A could cause neural and behavioral problems in fetuses,
infants and children.
The meeting is scheduled for Sept. 16.
Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D. Commissioner
of the FDA says in his posting on the agency's website that citizens are
welcome to make their voice heard.
A draft assessment has been posted saying that currently
there has no sufficient information to judge at what levels people would be
affected by bisphenol A and suggesting that further study of the chemical's
safety is badly needed, Reuters reported.
Democrats in the Senate already introduced in April a
bill to ban BPA in children's products while Canada is planning a ban on the
chemical.
Some states have been considering legislation to prohibit
use or restrict use of BPA in children products such as baby formulas cans.
Some retailers and manufacturers have decided to stop
using BPA in some products or selling BPA containing products. But they said
that their move is a response to the market demand, not an indicator that bisphenol
A is unsafe to use.
Below is the message posted on the FDA website.
BPA:
The Science, Evaluation and Safety
August 15, 2008
Welcome to Andy’s Take.
Since the splitting of the atom to
now global warming, society has come to realize that, regarding science and
technology, with progress comes peril! This is true for many of the products
that FDA regulates and press reports can often cause great alarm. For example,
you are now hearing that bisphenol A -- or BPA -- in plastic products might
affect hormones in development and you may be seeing in stores plastic water
bottles that are labeled “BPA Free.”
My Take on this is that science creates these products and science
must inform us of their risks. With regard to BPA thus far, the science FDA has
reviewed does not justify recommending that anyone discontinue using these
products. But we continue to investigate new research regarding the safety of
BPA. We are asking outside experts to review our work and are seeking as much
technical input as possible. In September, we are holding a public meeting of
such experts – as a subcommittee of our Science Board - to discuss FDA’s draft
assessment of the safety of BPA in items that touch food.
By taking steps to get input from
outside the agency including from you, the FDA continues to improve the process
by which we evaluate the science. This also provides a way to get the most
current information to you so that you can make informed decisions about using
the wide variety of food packaging and food containers that use material like
plastic.
Many of the FDA-regulated products
-- like the water and infant bottles containing BPA -- have become an integral
part of the busy lives that we all lead. The FDA of the 21st century continues
to modernize to keep pace with advancements in science and technology and the
availability of such new products -- and as the science involved continues to
be more complex, we continue to improve our process of making science-based
regulatory decisions.
I hope that you will stop by here
next week to get the take from Dr. Randall Lutter -- FDA’s Deputy Commissioner
for Policy.
Andy
Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
Commissioner of Food and Drugs
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