The Science Board, an expert panel advising the FDA, released a statement yesterday saying that the FDA made a mistake in basing their safety decision on three studies funded by the plastics industry.
And how did the FDA respond? According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the FDA responded by downplaying concerns.
Norris Alderson, the FDA’s associate commissioner for science, said
that people should not worry about their exposure to bisphenol A,
despite the review’s concern that current levels may be too high. There is nothing that says that the current level of exposure is unsafe.
The Science Board and the National Toxicology Program disagree. USA Today reports that the FDA ignored studies showing that BPA could cause harm at levels at least 10 time lower than the amount that the agency says is safe for babies.
The FDA made other significant mistakes that lead it to underestimate BPA’s potential dangers, the panel says:
- When measuring BPA levels in infant formula,
for example, the FDA used only 14 cans of liquid formula, all purchased
at the same time.Then, the FDA used the average BPA level found in
these cans, which are lined with BPA. The panel notes that some babies
whose formula comes from cans with above-average BPA levels may be
exposed to far more of the chemical than others.
- The FDA also failed to consider the cumulative
effect of being exposed to BPA from dozens of products. The FDA may
have underestimated the true amount of BPA to which babies are exposed.
How did the plastics industry respond? In a statement released yesterday according to Earth Times:
Once the FDA assessment is complete, the public can be assured that ACC and its member companies will comply with FDA’s direction. If the agency determines that existing margins of safety are insufficient in infant applications, our member companies that manufacture BPA will put processes in place to promptly phase out the use of materials containing BPA in baby bottles and infant formula packaging.
We look forward to the completion of the FDA assessment and to further advancing our dedication to the safe use of BPA, which continues to provide important benefits in products as diverse as CDs and safety helmets.
Hmmm. Doesn’t sound like they’re expecting to have to shut down their million dollar bisphenol-a wing anytime soon. Let’s hope they’re wrong.
