[Pharmwaste] Federal Official: Avoid Bisphenol A Still waiting on FDA ruling

[DeBiasi,Deborah]

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/bisphenol-a-fda-4
7121402


12.14.2009 5:51 PM

Federal Official: Avoid Bisphenol A

A high-level federal health official warns Americans not to be exposed
to a ubiquitous chemical, found in many plastics, baby products,
bottles, canned foods and more. Here's how.

The Food and Drug Administration was to have ruled Monday whether
Bisphenol A is safe for continued use in food packaging and other
food-related products, including some water bottles, baby bottles and an
array of food packaging. But one key federal official has already
reached a decision, according to another in a series of revelations
about the controversial chemical in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"It's simple enough to avoid," Linda Birnbaum, director of the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology
Program, told paper in an exclusive interview. "So, why not avoid a
problem?"

Bisphenol A was first developed as a synthetic estrogen before industry
discovered a wide range of uses for the chemical. It's been used to make
certain plastics hard, to coat paper, to line cans of food and drink,
and for a number of other uses. You rarely, if ever, see it on an
ingredient list, though. So even though Birnbaum implies it's easy to
avoid, that's not the case. 

Exposure to the chemical has been linked to a long list of health
problems -- everything from obesity to breast cancer -- based on
laboratory studies.

Since concerns have been magnified about the chemical over the past
couple years, several baby bottle manufacturers have stopped using
Bisphenol A, and Sunoco, a major manufacturer of the chemical, has
stopped selling it for use in baby bottles. Canada has restricted its
use in children's products. Though several states have proposed bans on
the chemical in certain consumer products, like baby items, the chemical
remains in wide use, in great part because the FDA has, to date,
endorsed it as "safe." (Sunday, the senators from New York proposed a
federal ban on BPA in children's products.)

That could change. Stay tuned to find out what the FDA decides.
Meanwhile, we turn to the research at ZRecs for a look at just how hard
it is to figure out which products you're supposed to avoid, if you're
trying to avoid Bisphenol A. ZRecs focuses on safe children's products
(though there are many adult products listed here, too, like water
bottles). They don't get into the total risk of exposure for a typical
American, especially considering that the lining of cans (according to
Consumer Reports, 19 canned foods -- every single can tested --
contained measurable levels of BPA), as well as the coating on many
sales receipts can leach the chemical to our hands and food.
Nonetheless, this list can help you avoid some of the products that
contain BPA.

Products with BPA
According to ZRecs

*	Certain baby and toddler foods and formulas, including some made
by Baby's Only Organic, Beech Nut, Bright Beginnings, Earth's Best,
Enfamil, Gerber, Nestle Good Start and Similac.

*	Certain baby bottles, including some made by Avent, Dr. Brown's,
Evenflo, Gerber, Innobaby, Luvable Friends, Munchkin, Nuby (Luv n'
Care), Playskool, Playtex, Second Nature, The First Years (Learning
Curve). There are also many safe baby bottles on the market, including
both glass and plastic bottles, that are made without BPA. More on safe
baby bottles.

*	Certain pacifiers, including some made by Gerber, MAM, Munchkin,
Nuby (Luv n' Care) and RaZbaby. There are BPA-free pacifiers on the
market, too.

*	Certain bath toys, including some made by Kel-Gar, Inc. and
Sassy. There are many bath toys that don't contain BPA, though many have
phthalates or PVC, two other suspect chemicals. There are also many
BPA-free infant toys available.

*	Certain breastfeeding aids, including some made by Ameda, Dr.
Brown's, Evenflo, and Playtex. There are BPA-free breastfeeding aids on
the market, too, though some contain nanoparticles that are a growing
concern to some consumers.

*	Certain formula feeding aids and transition feeders, including
some made by Dr. Brown's and Nuby (Luv n' Care). There are BPA-free
formula feeding aids on the market, too.

*	Certain cups, water bottles and water dispensers, including some
made by Gaiam, iSi, Nathan, Rubbermaid, Tupperware and Zak! Designs.
There are BPA-free cups water bottles and water dispensers on the
market, too.

*	Certain pitchers, including some made by Tupperware. There are
also BPA-free pitchers on the market.

*	Certain food prep tools, like food processors, including some
made by Cuisinart, KitchenAid, Rubbermaid. There are BPA-free food prep
tools on the market, too.

*	Certain food storage containers and snacking aids, including
some made by Innobaby, Rubbermaid and Tupperware. There are many
BPA-free food storage containers and snacking aids on the market, too.

*	Certain sippy cups and straw cups, including some made by
Evenflo, Nuby (Luv 'n Care), Playskool, Playtex, Sassy, Second Nature
and Zak! Designs. There are many BPA-free sippy cups and straw cups on
the market as well.

*	Certain tableware and utensils, including some made by Baby
Dipper, Evenflo, IKEA, Munchkin, Nuby (Luv n' Care), Sassy, Tupperware.
There are many BPA-free tableware sets and utensils on the market too.

For more information about Bisphenol A and the other ubiquitous
hormone-disrupting chemical of the moment, phthalates, see The Daily
Green's How to Avoid Bisphenol A and Phthalates. Also see how to avoid
exposure to Bisphenol A and other breast cancer risk factors.


Find this article at:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/bisphenol-a-fda-4
7121402


Deborah L. DeBiasi 
Email:   Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov (NEW!)
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov 
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality 
Office of Water Permit Programs 
Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Program 
PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents
www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/microconstituents.html 
Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218 
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219 
PH:         804-698-4028 
FAX:      804-698-4032 


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