Thursday, August 21, 2008

BPA News!

As promised, I want to keep you all updated on the latest news about BPA (I think everyone who’s been reading my blog knows by now what BPA is!) and the controversy it has driven worldwide.

In May’s Harvard Health Letter, Harvard’s Dr. Claire McCarthy advised the public to be cautious of the use of plastics, especially when dealing with infants and children, and to minimize exposure to BPA as much as possible because the health risks were unknown at the time. Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan, President of the American Council on Science and Health responded to this public warning, maintaining “that the use of plastic bottles and other plastic products pose no known hazard to human health.”

In light of all the public opinions by scientists and medical experts, there finally seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel in the ongoing debate on BPA safety. On July 24, the The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that “the human body rapidly metabolizes and eliminates Bisphenol A (BPA) and thus the substance presents no risk to adults, children or infants.”

More recently, In its draft assessment made available to the public on August 14, 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “concluded that an adequate margin of safety exists for BPA at current levels of exposure from food contact uses.” The report further states that BPA products are safe for both infants and adults.

In response to recent reports by outside organizations, namely the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and Environmental Canada (EC), the FDA formed a Task Force to evaluate the safety of all BPA-containing FDA-regulated products. Currently, the Task Force has evaluated the claims outlined in the risk assessments released by the NTP and they have made recommendations for further research in the draft assessment. FDA Commissioner,Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D, said, “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.”

In September, the FDA will hold a meeting open to the public to discuss the draft assessment of the safety of BPA. Outside experts, as a subcommittee of the Science Board, are asked to review the work of the FDA and are to present data, information, or views, orally or in writing, on issues pending before the committee.

I’m on it!!

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Thanks for Reading!