FDA Declares BPA Safe Despite Health Hazards

People around the world are facing a dilemma over deciding whether the chemical Bisphenol A, or BPA, used in many plastic household products is safe for them and their kids if used in low levels or not.

A latest study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that consumption of chemical found in plastic baby bottles, metal cans and other food packaging can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities in adults.

The study, released Wednesday, offered the first scientific evidence that adults with higher levels of BPA in their bodies were more likely to develop aforementioned diseases.

Despite the safety concerns, the Food and Drug Administration, once again, declared the levels of a controversial estrogen-like chemical in plastic safe.

After reviewing the FDA's draft report issued last month saying that the levels of BPA are safe, a panel of outside experts declared at a scientific hearing on Tuesday that FDA-regulated products currently on the market that contain BPA are safe.

Speaking at the scientific hearing, Laura Tarantino, head of the FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety said as the expert panel’s preliminary conclusion calls the BPA safe; change in habits can not be recommended at the moment.

“Based on our ongoing review, we believe there is a large body of evidence that indicates that FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials ... are below those that may cause health effects,” the U.S. health watchdog stated on its Web site.

“At this time, FDA is not recommending that anyone discontinue using products that contain BPA while we continue our risk assessment process,” the statement added.

Bisphenol, which has been detected in the bodies of 93% of Americans tested, is a synthetic chemical that is the main component in polycarbonate, which ultimately forms the unbreakable plastic used in the food cans, water bottles, drink containers, compact discs, electronics and also baby bottles.

The debate over the use of BPA has been going on since November 2007. Environmental and consumer safety groups say the BPA used in many plastic consumer products ranging from baby bottles to plastic lining of canned foods to other plastic drinks and food containers may pose health risks to animals and infants, affecting their development and reproductive systems. But the FDA and European regulators, as well as the plastics industry, assert the chemical is not dangerous.

Currently, BPA is one of the most commonly used synthetic chemicals in industry. Today, it’s used as a primary monomer in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. This chemical can enter the human body through hard plastic beverage containers such as baby bottles, as well as from liners in cans containing food and infant formula.

The ongoing safety concern over the use of BPA has prompted some major stores like Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, and Toys R Us, the largest toy seller, to remove the kids' products containing BPA from their shelves.

Despite the safety concerns expressed by several previous studies’ results, saying the baby bottles do not contain as much BPA as can be injurious to the infants, the plastic industry declines to accept the chemical they are using for over five decades now is harmful.