FDA Approves Revising Regulations for BPA
- By Elizabeth Freed
- Feb 24, 2012
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced in the
Federal Register that it is opening a 60-day public comment period on requested revisions to certain regulations on BPA. The requested revisions came from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) on October 7, 2011, in an effort to clarify for consumers that BPA is no longer used to manufacture baby bottles and sippy cups and will not be used in these products in the future. After addressing public comment, the FDA can move to its final rule-making stage.
“Although governments around the world continue to support the safety of BPA in food contact materials, confusion about whether BPA is used in baby bottles and sippy cups has become an unnecessary distraction to consumers, legislators and state regulators,” said Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D., of the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group of ACC. “FDA action on this request will provide certainty that BPA is not used to make the baby bottles and sippy cups on store shelves, either today or in the future.”
BPA is one of the most thoroughly tested chemicals in commerce today. The consensus of government agencies across the world is that BPA is safe for use in food-contact materials intended for infants and toddlers.
Recent state actions have contributed to confusion about whether baby bottles and sippy cups sold in the United States contain BPA. In fact, manufacturers of baby bottles and sippy cups announced several years ago that due to consumer preference they had stopped using BPA in these products.
About the Author
Elizabeth Freed is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media Inc.