US chemical industry group rejects Canada’s stance on BPA

14 October 2010 14:52  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS)--US chemical industry trade group American Chemistry Council (ACC) has rejected as unscientific Canada’s decision to list bisphenol A (BPA) as a toxic substance.

In a statement late Wednesday, the group said the move by Canada’s federal environment ministry (Environment Canada) was “contrary to the weight of worldwide scientific evidence, unwarranted and will unnecessarily confuse and alarm the public.”

“This [listing] puts Environment Canada at odds with the recent conclusions of European Food Safety Authority, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, all of which have concluded that BPA is safe in contact with food,” said Steven Hentges from the ACC’s polycarbonate/BPA global group.

He added that the environment ministry’s move also appeared to contradict a recent opinion by the Canada’s federal health ministry that current dietary exposure to BPA through food packaging was not expected to pose a health risk to the general population.

In Canada, environmentalists welcomed the move.

Rick Smith, head of Toronto-based Environmental Defence, said the ministry was to be applauded for having listed BPA as a toxic substance despite “vociferous industry opposition.”

In a next step, the group was looking forward to working with authorities to ban BPA from all metal food and beverage cans, he said.

Smith said “Canada’s leadership” on the issue of BPA had a “ripple effect around the world” with many US states and countries such as France and Denmark taking similar steps.

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By: Stefan Baumgarten
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