Posted Dec 17, 2009
Children, infants and pregnant women should avoid ingesting bisphenol A, says a U.S. official leading a study of the chemical used in some plastics.
National Toxicology Program Director Linda Birnbaum said studies indicate the ingestion of BPA, which is used in food packaging containers, could have a negative effect on human health, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Friday.
“There are plenty of reasonable alternatives,” said Birnbaum, who is also the director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration deemed BPA safe in all uses in August 2008, but an agency advisory board learned certain studies were ignored by FDA scientists.
Those studies determined BPA can potentially cause harm, the Journal Sentinel reported.
Birnbaum told the Journal Sentinel more precise measures are needed to accurately gauge the risks associated with BPA.
“We’re not asking the right questions,” she said. “We have to look more broadly.”
Date: Dec 13, 2009 URL: www.upi.com