Manufacturers in whose best interest it is to continue to use the dangerous estrogen-mimicking toxin bisphenol A (BPA) are working to find ways in which to stem government bans and allow the chemical in the items they produce. BPA is used, for example, in the linings of cans and lids, and companies such as Coca-Cola are among those trying to figure out ways to block possible bans, reports the Washington Post.
The Washington Post was able to procure the internal notes of a private meeting that involved “frustrated industry executives huddled for hours” working to minimize consumer anxiety over BPA, it said. The Post also reported that the group was concerned with young mothers since that demographic is both generally in charge of household purchasing and most concerned with health issues.
Citing an unidentified participant, the notes stated, said the Washington Post, that those in attendance, “believe a balance of legislative and grassroots outreach [to mothers 21 to 35 years old and students] is imperative to the stability of their industry; however, the association members continue to struggle to initiate research and develop a clear-cut plan to defend their industry,” The team looked at ideas such as “using fear tactics [e.g. “Do you want to have access to baby food anymore?” and finances, by offering the choice between expensive nonBPA packaging (frozen and fresh foods) and cheaper canned products, according to the notes, said The Post, which added that the public campaign spokesperson would be, a “pregnant young mother … willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA.”
We just reported that, according to the LA Times, a study confirmed what experts have long suspected, containers made with BPA leach the chemical into the liquids being held, even when not heated. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, BPA exposure has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans.
Despite industry’s arguments that BPA is safe at current dosages, the ever-present chemical has been linked to an increased risk of brain, reproductive, and immune systems diseases and disorders; problems with liver function testing; and interruptions in chemotherapy treatment. BPA is also associated with serious health problems based on 130 studies conducted in the past decade and newer research found BPA to have negative effects at “very low doses,” lower than the FDA’s current safety standards. Studies also revealed BPA stays in the body longer than previously believed.
BPA can be found virtually everywhere and is present in detectable levels in just about every human body. The highest levels are seen, noted the Chicago Tribune previously, in the youngest Americans. A concern since the toxin leaches in increased doses when containers made with BPA are heated, as is often the case with baby bottles.
Meanwhile, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) continues to maintain BPA is safe despite that it relied solely on two industry-funded studies for its draft review, something for which the agency has long been criticized.
Commenting on the meeting and the related notes, said the Washington Post, Richard Wiles of the Environmental Working Group said, “The BPA industry has adopted the tactics of tobacco and asbestos—when they had no science to make their case, they resorted to scare tactics and public relations…. It seems pretty desperate.”
Of note, there is a commercial alternative to BPA, which is largely in use in Japan where BPA has been reduced from many of its canned products, said the Washington Post, which added that under its new commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, the FDA “is conducting a new review of the science surrounding BPA.”
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