Consortium rejects FDA claim of BPA's safety

Packaging Digest: "An international consortium of industry, academic and government scientists has rejected as incomplete and unreliable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's case that a chemical found in food containers and other household products is safe.

The group, which met last month in Germany, is working to release a consensus statement in the next few weeks. The meeting was closed to the public, but the Journal Sentinel has interviewed many scientists who attended the meeting and has seen several working versions of their agreement.

The group raises questions about the two studies that the FDA has used as its foundation to declare that bisphenol A is safe in food and beverage containers. It calls for a much broader look at the chemical than the FDA has given.

Speakers at the conference included Rochelle Tyl, the author of the two studies that are being used as the FDA's benchmarks. Both of Tyl's studies were paid for by the American Chemistry Council, a trade association for BPA makers."

Group Raises New Concerns About BPA Packaging

WCVB Boston: "NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that the Food and Drug Administration said Bisphenol A, or BPA, is safe, but some scientists disagree.

'Unfortunately at this point, it's really hard to avoid this chemical because it's found in so many consumer products,' said Namasha Schelling, of Clean Water Action.

BPA, found in products from baby bottles to canned goods, has been linked to breast and prostate cancer.

'It needs to be regulated. We can't just let companies put out any product they want. It needs to be regulated by the government,' Schelling said."