How can I avoid BPA?

Mother Nature Network: "Dear Vanessa,
I’m worried about exposing my family to bisphenol A, but it seems like it's in everything. I've heard that it's bad to use canned foods because BPA is in tin cans, but a friend also told me recently not to microwave any plastic food containers. Is that true, even for Tupperware? What about restaurant to-go boxes? Are plastic containers safe to use as long as I don't microwave them?

— Mary K. in New Orleans, L"

Be worried, be very worried.

• Don’t buy canned foods or beverages. Really.

FDA Science Board Meeting Presentations

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U.S. FDA to reconsider BPA safety issue

Plastics News: "FDA said CFSAN was currently reviewing more than 100 studies, many of which evaluate the potential risk for low-dose exposure to BPA. One of the recommendations of the FDA Science Board subcommittee last October had been to review such studies.

An FDA spokesman said the review will focus on the potential adverse human health effects that were considered to be of some concern in the National Toxicology Program report in September 2008.

That NTP report was dismissed by previous leadership at FDA. Among other things, NTP had suggested that parents might want to reduce the exposure of infants to products that contain BPA.

The agency had received stinging criticism in October for rejecting a report by an FDA Science Board subcommittee which said that FDA’s position that BPA is not harmful ignores critical studies and that the margins of safety the agency defines as adequate “are, in fact, inadequate.”

Eleven safety agencies around the world have said that BPA is safe for use in food contact applications."

BPA industry fights back

JSOnline: "The industry has launched an unprecedented public relations blitz that uses many of the same tactics - and people - the tobacco industry used in its decades-long fight against regulation. This time, the industry's arsenal includes state-of-the-art technology. Their modern-day Trojan horses: blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia and YouTube.

A four-month investigation by the Journal Sentinel reveals a highly calibrated campaign by plastics makers to fight federal regulation of BPA, downplay its risks and discredit anyone who characterizes the chemical as a health threat. The newspaper examined thousands of pages of Internal Revenue Service reports, disclosure forms and e-mails between government scientists and lobbyists as well as the industry's own public relations materials."

Bill Carteaux paced the stage with the intensity of a general about to send troops into bloody battle.

He is at war against mounting momentum to ban bisphenol A, a key ingredient in hard, clear plastic products. Studies have linked BPA to breast cancer, testicular cancer, reproductive deformities and neurological defects.

Carteaux, president of the Society of the Plastics Industry, represents manufacturers of thousands of products made with BPA. Sales of that chemical now top $6 billion a year.

For decades, the chemical industry has been able to control the debate on whether BPA is harmful to human health. Now the Food and Drug Administration, which had relied on industry-financed studies to declare the chemical safe, is reconsidering its determination. The decision is expected by Nov. 30.

Trevor Butterworth, Bisphenol A poseur uncovered.

Our Stolen Future: "STATS chief author writing about bisphenol A has been Trevor Butterworth. According to STATS website, Butterworth is trained in philosophy and has an MS in journalism, but no scientific training. Most recently, he published a lengthy analysis of 'Science Suppressed: How American Became Obsessed With Bisphenol A.' In doing research for this article, he identified himself to at least one scientist, Dr. Fred vom Saal (University of Missouri) in an email 'questions from journalist.'"

Now a lengthy investigative story by Meg Kissinger and Susanne Rust (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 23 August 2009), BPA industry fights back, reports that Butterworth is a poseur, claiming to be a journalist but in fact participating in a broad effort by the bisphenol A industry to protect this material from government regulation. Based on a review of its financial reports, STATS, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is really a branch of the Center for Media and Public Affairs. According to the MJS, "that group was paid by the tobacco industry to monitor news stories about the dangers of tobacco."

What 'BPA-free' really means

What 'BPA-free' really means: "Galloway and her colleagues said those with the highest levels of BPA concentrations in their urine had nearly three times the odds of cardiovascular disease, compared with participants with the lowest levels of BPA. The study also found people with high BPA levels had 2.4 times the odds of Type 2 diabetes in comparison with those with the lowest levels.

No need for hysteria

Despite her research, Galloway says she doesn't think a ban on bisphenol A is necessary. She says people can simply limit their exposure to the compound, and points to innovations in the manufacturing process that can drastically reduce BPA levels in polycarbonates.

And Galloway says there is at least some merit to the Health Canada findings."

Bisphenol A - Cigarette Tobacco Lobbyists for Bisphenol A

thedailygreen.com: "Some key facts from the new report, which is a must-read:

The same lobbying firm, the Weinberg Group, represents both the tobacco and chemical industries. Its mission, in part, is to 'support products in the legal system, the media and in the court of public opinion.'

When it comes to regulation of harmful chemicals in consumer products, those with the best lobbyists often get what they want, often despite what the science says about health risks. The FDA has been relying on the industry for its safety assessments of Bisphenol A for more than a decade.

To win over the public on Bisphenol A, the $6 billion industry and its lobbyists are launching a $10 million multi-media offensive, including faux-independent think tanks, YouTube videos, search engine optimization, Facebook and Twitter marketing and other tools of Web 2.0. (Maybe we'll see Bill Carteaux of International Plastics Showcase, a sister to the American Chemistry Council, on the Colbert Report soon?)"