Canada & US Disagree Over Plastic Safety

The FDA insists that bisphenol A (BPA), the chemical found in hard clear plastic and the lining of soda and beer cans is perfectly safe. But its counterpart to the north, Health Canada, has just declared that BPA is hazardous to human health.

The Food and Drug Administration is in a bind. For decades the agency has insisted that baby bottles, water bottles and other food and beverage containers with BPA pose no risk. Even as scientists uncovered evidence that BPA can mimic estrogen and disrupt hormone balance in animals, our regulators have supported the chemical industry’s position that there is nothing to worry about.

The FDA’s conclusion came despite a report from the National Toxicology Program that BPA might trigger “neural and behavioral” effects in fetuses, babies and very young children. Health Canada will put BPA on a list of toxic substances and ban it from baby bottles.

Last month, an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Sept. 17, 2008) raised additional concerns for adults. Researchers discovered that “higher urinary concentrations of BPA were associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver-enzyme abnormalities.”

Virtually all Americans have some BPA circulating throughout their bodies. That’s because this chemical is found in the plastic lining of most canned food. It is almost impossible to avoid exposure to BPA if you use any cans or hard clear plastic containers.

The FDA is on the hot seat for its defense of this chemical. The scientist who chairs the expert panel that is analyzing the safety of BPA also heads a research center at the University of Michigan. His organization accepted a $5 million gift from a maker of medical devices who has been outspoken in his views that BPA is “perfectly safe.” Congress is investigating whether there is a conflict of interest.

In the meantime, millions of Americans are wondering whether they should throw out their plastic water containers and give up on canned soup. Many scientists who have studied BPA are concerned enough to avoid it in their own homes.

We have interviewed experts who advise consumers not to use any plastic containers in microwave ovens. To avoid BPA, consumers should look for food storage containers that are labeled BPA free or that are not clear hard polycarbonate plastic. Some also recommend minimizing the use of canned food.

Anyone who would like to learn more about the potential hazards of plastics and how to reduce BPA exposure may be interested in the radio interview we did with some of the country’s leading experts on sex-hormone disruption. To order this one-hour CD, please send $16 to Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy (CD-670); PO Box 52027; Durham, NC 27717-2027. Show #670 is also available as a free podcast at www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Plastic is everywhere. It’s almost impossible to find fruit juice or ketchup in glass containers any more. Soft plastics used in teethers, toys and flexible containers may contain phthalates, another class of potential hormone disruptors. Although plastic is convenient, it may be prudent to rethink the ways we use it.