FDA Issues Update on BPA

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an update calling for more studies on bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the manufacturing of many hard plastic food containers such as baby bottles, reusable cups, and the lining of metal food and beverage cans including canned liquid infant formula.

Recent studies have reported subtle effects of low doses of BPA in laboratory animals. While BPA is not proven to harm children or adults, these newer studies have led federal health officials to express some concern about the safety of BPA.

FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services Administration (HHS) are working in a collaborative manner to study the health effects of BPA. FDA is creating an Interagency Technical Working Group on Childrens Environmental Health that will combine the expertise of different federal agencies to focus on environmental health risks that disproportionately affect children. The group will coordinate efforts across the government to research and address key environmental health questions including BPA.

HHS, through its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and FDA, is investing in important new health studies in both animals and humans to better determine and evaluate the potential health consequences of BPA.

NIH and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is providing $30 million in funding to investigate BPA, which includes support for FDA studies and external grants. Results of the scientific research is expected in approximately 18 to 24 months.

FDA also is supporting current industry efforts to stop the manufacture of infant bottles and feeding cups made with BPA from the U.S. market.  FDA is seeking to strengthen its oversight of BPA so the agency can respond quickly, if necessary, when more scientific evidence becomes available.