In a previous post I covered the dangers that Bisphenol-A, a component of some plastics, poses to babies who drink from bottles made of the substance, while the FDA continues to stand behind its safety. I wrote, “At the very least, the FDA should reevaluate its conclusions that were based on biased studies.” Well, it looks like the FDA is poised to do just that, the Wall Street Journal reports. The FDA’s chief scientist has been assigned to reevaluate the safety of BPA in baby bottles, under the new leadership of FDA head Margaret Hamburg.
Several states and cities have already taken steps to ban BPA-containing baby bottles in their communities, and a number of bottle manufacturers have dropped BPA from their production. Yet the FDA has been steadfast in its assertion that bottles made from BPA pose no significant threat to babies. The chemical has been linked to numerous health problems like cancer and diabetes, but the FDA based its flawed decision on industry-funded research, which is unthinkable. Luckily, the FDA is taking a new direction with Hamburg at the helm. In the future, BPA shouldn’t have a place in any food container. But for now, we must keep it away from babies at the very least.
For more on the matter, read this attorney blog and this Washington Post article about the shady ways some manufacturers are trying to convince the public on BPA’s safety.
