Bisphenol A Update
Bridget M. Kuehn
JAMA. 2010;303(8):722.
Reversing a previous assessment that found little human health risk associated with bisphenol A, a chemical used in plastic products, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has joined with the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in expressing "some concern" about the potential risks this additive may pose to infants and young children.
Bisphenol A is used in such products as baby bottles and food can linings. In a 2008 report, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) concluded that animal studies raise concern that low-level exposure to this estrogen mimic may cause neurological and behavioral changes in fetuses, infants, and children (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol/bisphenol-eval.html). An FDA risk assessment also released in 2008 found no reason for concern but was criticized for including mostly industry-funded studies and excluding newer data included in the NTP report.
In January, officials from the FDA and the DHHS announced that they will collaborate on $30 million in animal and human studies to better assess the risks bisphenol A exposure may pose to infants and children. In the meantime, the DHHS has published recommendations for parents on minimizing children's exposure (http://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa/). The FDA announced it is also seeking to change the way it regulates bisphenol A to react more quickly if the studies identify health risks (http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064437.htm).
"Some concern"? I'm sorry, but I have "some concern" about the FDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services having any desire to police the plastics industry, and I have "some concerns" about whether or not they give a rat's ass about our health. Weasels.
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