US chemical industry needs BPA strategy - ACC

05 May 2008 23:52  [Source: ICIS news]

By Joseph Chang

NEW YORK (ICIS news)--The US chemical industry must take a “more strategic perspective” on issues such as public concerns about bisphenol-A (BPA) on human health, American Chemistry Council (ACC) CEO Jack Gerard said on Monday.

“Our critics will do anything they can, including stretching the science, to advance their agenda,” said Gerard. “We fully expect those attacks to continue. But once cooler heads prevail and people look at the science, it should resolve the matter. We hope to drive the discussion back to a risk-based, science-based approach.”

Gerard said the ACC is “actively engaged” in a number of discussions on BPA at the local, state, federal and global levels.

“BPA is not a new product and has been tested repeatedly, and science says, as the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) reaffirmed in the last couple weeks is that there should not be any undue concern, but that they would take another look at it” said Gerard. “But the overwhelming science to date suggests it’s safe for use.”

Last month, Democrat Senators Charles Schumer of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California introduced a bill that would ban BPA in all children’s products sold in the US.

Building and maintaining relationships and open lines of communication with big box and other retailers is a key element in the ACC’s strategy in dealing with these issues, Gerard said.

“Our customers want to make sure what they’re putting on their shelves is safe and we’re all for that. But our critics would like to see these decisions made on the basis of pure emotion, speculation and shrill rhetoric,” said Gerard. “So we’re working with folks like Wal-Mart and others to emphasize the science and bring in the third-party scientists who have done this analysis. Once we bring science to the table, it reassures them that not only have we been doing this in the past, but that we’re committed to handling our products that way in the future.”

Wal-Mart announced last month that it would phase our products containing BPA to address consumer concerns.

For more on BPA visit ICIS chemical intelligence

By: Joseph Chang
+1 713 525 2653

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly