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Volume 16, Issue 30
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Wednesday, February 11, 2009
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FDA Meets with Manufacturers and Users of Materials Containing Bisphenol-A
On Jan. 30, the Food and Drug Administration and Health Canadas Health Products and Food Branch hosted a meeting of manufacturers and users of food packaging materials containing bisphenol-A to discuss ongoing efforts to help minimize the levels of that chemical in food. According to an FDA press release, the meeting provided an opportunity for the FDA and Health Canada to update the industry on current activities and planned research to further assess BPA exposure and manage any potential risks from the chemical. Manufacturers also described their activities to refine packaging manufacturing practices to minimize migration of BPA into food, as well as recent marketplace developments. In addition, there was a discussion of the expectation that polycarbonate baby bottles could cease to be a substantial component of the North American market in the future due to the development of alternative products.
BPA is used in the production of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics and is the main ingredient in hard polycarbonate plastics. Polycarbonate plastics are used in many food and drink packaging products and epoxy resins are typically used as lacquers to coat metal products. BPA is also used in many childrens products, including toys, pacifiers, baby bottles and teethers, although many manufacturers have voluntarily phased out the use of this chemical in their products in response to growing public concerns. A report issued by the National Toxicology Program in 2008 raised the possibility that exposure to BPA could be linked to developmental problems of the endocrine system in infants and young children. The mass media has echoed the concerns expressed in this and other reports, which has persuaded a growing segment of the public to favor BPA-fee alternatives.
The FDA has been conducting an agency-wide effort to review all available information on BPA in FDA-regulated products. The agency notes, however, that the consensus of regulatory agencies in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan remains that the current levels of BPA exposure through food packaging do not pose an immediate health risk to the general population, although Canada has taken specific precautionary steps to reduce BPA exposure for infants and children.
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