BPA Under Scrutiny

Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in food packaging, is under review by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to determine whether it is safe. BPA is used in baby bottles and in epoxy resins for internal protective linings for canned food and metal lids. The FDA has been criticized for deeming BPA safe at current levels in consumer products because the studies used in the assessment were industry-funded reports. The scientific community has argued the FDA should have also included independent studies which have raised uncertainties regarding the potential effects of low dose exposure to BPA in humans, in particular infants.

Last autumn, Canada became the first country in the world to take regulatory action prohibiting the use of BPA in baby bottles, while bills are currently under consideration in Washington, Minnesota, Connecticut and some U.S. cities aiming to ban the use of the chemical in products for children under the age of 3. A Canadian study has concluded, however, that consumer exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) from consumption of canned soft drinks is low. The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, evaluated the levels in canned drinks, and indicated that, while most of the drinks analysed contained BPA, the levels present were minimal.

In beverage production, BPA is used to produce bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), the inside coating of cans. Scientists claim residual amounts of BPA can be present in BADGE as a result of incomplete reaction, and that both BPA and BADGE can migrate from the can coatings, especially at high temperatures. Studies have found that BPA is a potential endocrine disruptor that mimics the action of estrogens, while recent U.K. research found that higher concentrations of the chemical in urine were linked with heart disease, type 2 diabetes and liver enzyme abnormalities.

Look for more fire in the press on this issue.

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