Health Canada makes it official: BPA is health hazard

Canada.com: "Canada on Saturday will become the first country to formally declare bisphenol A hazardous to human health and officially inform the baby-product industry it will no longer be able to use the chemical in baby bottles." Canada's announcement comes six months after Health Minister Tony Clement surprised the chemical industry by announcing the government's plan to place bisphenol A on its list of toxic substances and ban its use in baby bottles.

In unveiling the "precautionary and prudent" move, Clement proposed a limited ban of the widely used chemical, also found in hard plastic sports bottles and the lining of food cans.

Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence and co-author of the forthcoming book Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health, said the expected declaration is a "good start." But he said new evidence continues to pile up, pointing to the detrimental health effects of bisphenol A on adults. "There's new science coming out on a weekly basis pointing to this chemical being a health concern for adults. Baby bottles are a good start, but the government now needs to take a look at getting this chemical out of the lining in cans."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is under fire after determining last month in a draft report that BPA was safe for food storage. On Thursday, the Washington Post published an editorial arguing the FDA's final recommendation, expected this month, could be "seen as less than fully independent."

5 Ways to Keep Bisphenol A, or BPA, Out of Your Food

US News and World Report: "Here are some good rules of thumb for reducing your intake of BPA."

1. Buy your tomato sauce in glass jars. Canned tomato sauce is likely to have higher levels of BPA because the high acidity of the tomatoes causes more of the chemical to leach from the lining of the can. Think beyond plain tomato sauce to any canned pasta—like ravioli and those fun-looking kids' meals.

2. Consume frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned. In addition to their BPA-free benefit, fresh and frozen produce usually have more nutrients, which often get lost in the process of canning. Eden Foods does offer canned beans that are BPA-free.

3. Purchase beverages in plastic or glass bottles. Canned soda and juice often contain some BPA. You don't need to worry, though, about disposable plastic water bottles. Most don't contain bisphenol A, and those that do are usually marked on the bottom with a number 7 recycling code.

4. Use powdered infant formula instead of ready-to-serve liquid. A separate assessment from the Environmental Working Group found that liquid formulas contain more BPA than powdered brands.

5. Think in terms of moderation. You don't need to avoid all canned foods. Just consult the chart below and follow a sensible approach, eating less of those foods that are high in BPA. Click here for the full report on canned foods.

3 States Move to Phase Out Bisphenol A

thedailygreen.com: "The Attorneys General of three states -- Connecticut, Delaware and New Jersey -- have asked baby bottle manufacturers to voluntarily stop using plastics made with Bisphenol-A, a chemical that has been linked to a range of health problems due to its similarity to the female hormone estrogen"

Bisphenol-A May Disrupt Cancer Treatment

thedailygreen.com: "The new University of Cincinnati study says that Bisphenol-A may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments. Bisphenol-A seems to bolster proteins that protect cancer cells, according to the research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Bisphenol-A is not only similar to estrogen, but to a cancer-promoting compound called diethylstilbestrol (DES). DES makes cancer cells proliferate, but Bisphenol-A seems to protect cells from chemical attack, as does estrogen.

The researchers did the laboratory work on breast cancer cells."

University of Cincinatti PR

Study links Bisphenol A to heart disease, diabetes

CTV.ca : "A recent study by CTV News and the Globe and Mail found that BPA leached out of cans that were heated to temperatures similar to those used during the sterilization process.

In the wake of that research, Federal Health Minister Tony Clement announced that Canada would be the first country to label BPA a dangerous substance and would ban the use of BPA in baby bottles."

Chemical in food tins doubles the risk of heart disease and diabetes

Telegraph: "A chemical found in tin food cans and plastic drinks bottles can more than double the chance of developing heart disease and diabetes, a new study suggests."

Bisphenol-A in canned foods

Seattle Post Intelligencer: "Somehow it had escaped me, until seeing a random note today in Food and Wine, that the controversial chemical is also in most canned goods. (It's used in the lining of most cans.)"

Donation raises questions for head of FDA’s bisphenol A panel

JS Online:  "A retired medical supply manufacturer who considers bisphenol A to be “perfectly safe” gave $5 million to the research center of Martin Philbert, chairman of the Food and Drug Association panel about to make a pivotal ruling on the chemical’s safety."

Philbert's committee is expected to release its opinion this month. It will advise the FDA on whether to accept, reject or amend a draft released by the agency in September. That draft found that products made with bisphenol A are safe for food storage.

The decision of Philbert's committee is being watched carefully by chemical-makers and is expected to have huge implications on the regulation and sale of the chemical in items such as baby bottles, reusable food containers and plastic wraps.