Baby bottle manufacturers agree to ban BPA
It was “a major public health victory” according to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in a press release. He is referring to the pledge made by America’s top six baby bottle companies to stop using Bisphenol-A (BPA) in their manufacturing process of baby bottles.
He has the right to feel elated as many other anti-BPA advocates in North America. If we backtrack, BPA was a big thing last year when it was found out that this chemical used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics is leaching out into the drinks and other food products. The Canadian regulatory body Health Canada made the unprecedented move to ban BPA in baby bottles in autumn last year. However, the US FDA claimed that BPA concentrations present in food products are too low to cause any real harm despite “concerns” expressed in a report by the National Institute of Health’s National Toxicology Program. According to the NTP report, BPA exposure may have possibly affect reproductive, neurological and immune systems. Other studies have linked BPA to cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, and diabetes.
However, the BPA issue was overshadowed by the melamine scandal and more recently by the peanut butter recalls.
Blumenthal and his counterparts in the states of Delaware and New Jersey wrote a letter to the baby bottle companies last year urging them to stop using BPA. The good news was received earlier this month. Six companies – Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow – voluntarily agreed to phase out BPA from their manufacturing process of baby bottles and sippy cups.
Hurrah! This is one health issue where North America is far ahead of Europe!
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Kimberly says...
Good for them! The public relations nightmare for them had they NOT ageed to voluntarily ban BPA could have been horrendous! Glad they made the right decision.
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