California goes BPA-free
Another victory for American consumers! On June 2, the state of California Senate voted to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from the packaging of baby food and beverage products. You remember BPA, right? It’s that carcinogenic, endocrine disruptor compound found to leach out from plastic bottles (including baby bottles!) and food packaging (including baby formula!).
Well, it seems that the Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act (SB 797) of California will finally put an end to the use of this chemical in the manufacture of plastics and plastic-containing products. At least until the Act goes through the State Assembly. The legislation is also known as the Pavley Bill as it was introduced by Senator Fran Pavley.
The industry lobbyists did try their best to sway the Senate’s decision in their favor but it the end, the Senate members acted rationally based on the mounting scientific evidence that BPA is detrimental to our health. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), research studies have linked BPA exposure to the following diseases and health problems:
- Breast cancer
- Heart disease
- Birth defects
- Prostate cancer
- Infertility
- Premature puberty in girls
- Diabetes
- Obesity
California is the not the first state to ban BPA. Earlier this year, Minnesota, then Connecticut set the precedence. It is expected that more states will follow. This is despite the fact that the US FDA has declared the levels of BPA in the food and beverages are very low and considered to be harmless.
As Breast Cancer Fund Gretchen Lee Salter policy manager rightly said “…kids had to come first before the lobbyists.” Indeed, with the Pavley Bill, this is exactly what happened.
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