House of Representatives widens BPA safety probe

30 April 2008 23:13  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--The US House of Representatives has expanded its inquiries over the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) for use in products besides infant food and beverage containers, the government said on Wednesday.

The news follows a move in the US Senate on Wednesday that would ban BPA use in all children’s products.

House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. John D. Dingell (Democrat-Michigan) and committee member Rep. Bobby Rush (Democrat-Illinois) asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission what steps, if any, it had taken to asses the potential health effects of BPA found in such polycarbonate (PC) children’s products.

Those products include teething rings, pacifiers and children’s flatware. It also asks the commission whether BPA should be considered a hazardous substance.

The action comes as the committee presses the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review its decision that BPA is safe. The chemical, which mimics estrogen and is found in PC baby bottles and canned-food linings, has come under increased scrutiny as studies have linked high doses of it to cancer and diabetes.

“While the Committee is already pressing the FDA to explain its safety evaluation of bisphenol A, non-food products that do not fall under the FDA’s jurisdiction could also potentially expose children and infants to this chemical,” Dingell said in a statement.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has said BPA is safe at the levels in which most people ingest it.

For more information on polycarbonate or bisphenol A visit ICIS chemical intelligence

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Author: Ben Lefebvre
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