Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Consumers Union Praises FDA Action to Ban BPA in Baby Bottles, Sippy Cups
WASHINGTON — Consumers Union, the policy arm of Consumer Reports, today praised the action by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the controversial plastic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles and sippy cups.
“This is a big day for everyone who has worked so hard to get BPA out of our sippy cups and baby bottles, especially the families who have lobbied the government to do the right thing for our kids,” said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union. “Scientific studies show there are serious health risks associated with BPA, and this action by the FDA will help protect millions of the most vulnerable Americans. FDA’s next step should be to ban this chemical in infant formula containers. Babies’ exposure to BPA should be minimized in every way possible.”
Last year, the state of California enacted a law co-sponsored by Consumers Union to ban BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups. Immediately following the passage of the California law, the U.S. chemical industry’s trade association, the American Chemistry Council, asked the FDA to phase out rules allowing BPA in such products last fall, stating that manufacturers of bottles and sippy cups had already stopped using the chemical due to consumer preferences.
Consumers Union has long urged federal, state, and local governments to curb uses of BPA in food containers, especially those used by babies and young children, pointing to scientific studies that link BPA exposure to increased risk of cancer, diabetes, and reproductive, neurological, and developmental disorders.
***