The U.S. Food and Drug Administration missed its third,
self-imposed deadline for new consumer guidelines about the safety of
using products made with bisphenol A (BPA).
The chemical is an endocrine disruptor often found in the linings of
food and beverage cans (“The myth of the BPA-free diet,”
Dec. 3, 2009, RN&R). It’s been linked to a range of health
issues, including cancer, birth defects, sexual dysfunction and heart
disease. It’s been found in 93 percent of Americans tested and 90
percent of newborns, who are thought to be particularly susceptible to
its effects.
After the agency missed a Nov. 30 deadline, spokesperson Michael
Herndon said the public could expect a decision before the end of
2009. When that date passed, the agency declined to set a new
deadline.
The FDA declared BPA safe for all uses in August 2008. But that
declaration was based on two industry-funded studies, and chemical
industry lobbyists wrote entire sections of the FDA’s opinion.
The agency’s science board called for a reevaluation of the
chemical’s safety, the results of which the public is still
waiting to hear. Meanwhile, bills are pending in Congress to ban
BPA in products that come in contact with food.