The wrestle on bisphenol

CEBU, Philippines - Your favorite chicken noodle soup manufacturer, Campbell's, has finally succumbed to public pressure. But the US Food and Drug Administration said otherwise on the issue of banning bisphenol (BPA) completely from food and beverage containers.

Last March 31, it was expected that the FDA would consider a request from environmental groups seeking total ban of BPA, most especially in linings of infant formula cans, purified water bottles and other bottled drinks, and baby feeding bottles as well as sippy cups. These groups are Breast Cancer Fund (via Cans not Cancer Campaign), Healthy Child Healthy World, the Environmental Working Group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest, and Consumer Union.

In an official statement released on Environment News Service, Campbell's chief financial officer Craig Owens said that the "shift to BPA-free cans has begun and could be accomplished without major cost to the company."

"We recognize that there is some debate over the use of BPA," Owens said. "The trust that we've earned from our consumers for over 140 years is paramount to us. And we've been monitoring and working on the issue for several years. Because of this we've already started using alternatives to BPA in some of our soup packaging. And we're working to phase out the use of BPA in the lining of all of our canned products. The cost of this effort is not expected to be material."

However, FDA said that the petition "lacked scientific evidence to warrant a ban, but would continue to study the plastic hardening chemical," the agency said over American News Report.

BPA has long been linked to obesity, diabetes, cancer and other health problems. It is in fact a suspected endocrine disruptor, which means that BPA is a chemical which interferes with endocrine (or hormone system). Such disruptions can produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune effects. Studies said that as an endocrine disruptor, BPA can actually mimic our own hormones, leading to many potential negative effects on health.

"FDA scientists have also recently determined that exposure to BPA through foods for infants is much less than had been previously believed and that the trace amounts of the chemical that enter the body, whether it's an adult or a child, are rapidly metabolized and eliminated," the FDA said on its website.

American News Report quoted Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research of the Environmental Working Group, suggesting: "The next decision the FDA should make is to remove 'responsible for protecting the public health'' from its mission statement."

Houlihan lambasted the move, stressing: "It's false advertising. Allowing a chemical as toxic as BPA, and linked to so many serious health problems, to remain in food means the agency has veered dangerously off course."

What is BPA?

BPA is a colorless and odorless chemical widely used in food and beverage packaging, including many water and baby bottles. It's been a controversial substance due to concerns over possible BPA leakage (or leaching) into foods and liquids, causing health hazards primarily for fetuses, infants, and young children.

"As a nurse who sees chronic diseases and disorders linked to BPA exposure, I believe in using modern science to protect human health. FDA can protect Americans and restore the public trust. They caved to industry pressure and squandered that opportunity," said Katie Huffling of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments.

"Obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease and cancer are associated with endocrine disrupting chemicals like BPA. We can prevent this exposure by doing what many other countries have done; ban it from products related to food," comments Cindy Luppi, Clean Water Action, New England.

The American Chemistry Council applauded the FDA decision, saying it had "closed the book" on BPA.

"BPA is one of the most thoroughly tested chemicals used today and has a safety track record in food contact of over 40 years. The consensus of government agencies across the world, based on the science, is that BPA is safe for use in food-contact materials," said Steven Hentges, PhD, of the American Chemistry Council. He cited studies by the European Food Safety Authority, the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.

The FDA does recommend that consumers not put hot or boiling liquid that they intend to consume in plastic containers made with BPA. BPA levels rise in food when containers made with the chemical are heated. The agency also recommends that all bottles with scratches should be discarded, as they may harbor bacteria that could lead to greater release of BPA.

But intelhub.com reported that NRDC senior scientist for public health Dr. Sarah Janssen says that the FDA is no longer in touch with the latest research in both scientific and medical fields.

"The FDA is out-of-step with scientific and medical research," Dr. Janssen said. "This illustrates the need for a major overhaul of how the government protects us against dangerous chemicals."

"BPA is a toxic chemical that has no place in our food supply," Dr. Janssen added. "The agency has failed to protect our health and safety in the face of scientific studies that continue to raise disturbing questions about the long-term effects of BPA exposures, especially in fetuses, babies and young children."

Sources: americannewsreport.com, intelhub.com, ens-newswire.com (FREEMAN)