By David Liu, PHDSaturday March 31, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Media reports say the Food and Drug Administration has rejected a petition that asks the agency to ban use of plastic with a plastic-hardening chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) in food and beverage containers including plastic bottles and canned food.The agency was cited as saying that petitioners most of whom are environmentalists failed to provide convincing scientific evidence to justify new restrictions on use of plastics with BPA, which is estrogenic and has been linked with a series of serious health conditions, particularly in children including brain and reproductive disorders.In order for the FDA to take a product out of the market, or restrict use of a product, the agency always asks the public or consumers to prove that such a product is unsafe. That is, the burden to prove a product is unsafe is on consumers. Reports circulated on the Internet say that only less than 5% of chemicals on the market have ever been subject to any safety testing and the rest have not. Many consumers may mistakenly believe that the industry uses a product because it is safe to use.It has been reported than over 90% of Americans have been polluted with bisphenol A.How to prevent ingestion of BPA? First, you need to know which products contain BPA and then you know what to avoid using BPA. Wikipedia states "Polycarbonate plastic, which is clear and nearly shatter-proof, is used to make a variety of common products including baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical and dental devices, dental fillings and sealants, CDs and DVDs, household electronics, and eyeglass lenses."Generally, plastic bottles or containers that are marked with recycle codes 1,2,4,5 and 6 were very unlikely to have BPA. But plastics with recycle codes 3 and 7 may be manufactured with BPA, according to wikipedia. In terms of safety, plastics with recycle codes 1, 2 and 4 are relatively safe while those with 3, 6 and 7 are riskier and plastics with number 5 in the middle. Many studies suggest that BPA is linked with obesity, neurological disorders, disruption of the dopaminergic system, thyroid dysfunction, breast cancer, neuroblastoma, prostate developmental problems and cancer, DNA methylation, dysfunction of female reproductive system, sexual difficulties and heart disease. But few studies have led a definite conclusion that convinces the FDA and other government agencies to agree that use of BPA is unsafe.The National Toxicology Program (NTP) says in a lengthy report that "there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures. The NTP also has some concern for bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females."More reports on bisphenol ANTP report raises concerns about bisphenol A toxicity
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Bisphenol A from baby bottles potential risk to babies
NTP finalizes report on Bisphenol A
BPA Could Affect Reproductive Capabilities ...
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