The FDA Looks into Our
Food Containers
January 29, 2010
On January 10, 2010 the FDA issued a report that took a counter position on its longstanding conviction that BPA is A-OK. Bisphenol-A, the FDA concedes, is more than questionable. In fact it merits further study. The ubiquitous chemical shows up in all kinds of clear plastic containers, packaging and bottles (often designated as #7), as well as in tin and soda cans in the form of epoxy resins. (According to the Environmental Working Group's 2007 nationwide survey, the chemical was particularly prevalent in chicken soup and ravioli cans.)
Last year the EWG found BPA in nine out of ten umbilical cord blood samples, the first ever such detection in the U.S.
Unless you're living on an organic farm harvesting your own produce, your urine, like that of nearly every American sampled for BPA, according to a CDC study from 2003-2004, is probably positive for traces of the chemical.
A hormone-disruptor suspected of causing breast cancer, obesity, infertility, diabetes, prostate cancer, early onset puberty and hyperactivity in lab animals, it was banned in Canada in baby bottles in 2008 — but defended by the FDA that same year.
Since the checklist for potential everyday hazards in our food supply seems to be growing at such a brisk rate, ubiquitous materials such as plastics and tin cans and the underlying chemical compounds that go into producing them, good or bad, have tremendous staying power. Not only are there a number of questionable balls to chase, the follow-up goes slowly. The FDA predicts that the current toxicity testing being conducted on BPA, for example, will yield results starting in 2012. In the meantime, consumers are on their own to decipher newly published concerns such as:
"FDA is supporting the industry’s actions to stop producing BPA-containing bottles and infant feeding cups for the U.S. market. FDA understands that over the past year, the major manufacturers of these products have stopped selling new BPA-containing bottles and infant feeding cups for the U.S. market. Glass and polypropylene bottles and plastic disposable “bag” liners have long been alternatives to polycarbonate nursing bottles."
But what if you're not a baby? What about all those other containers?
Babies First
The agency will test specifically for behavorial changes in utero. In other words, researchers whittled down the alarm bells and focused on their primary concern about the chemical: its impact on fetuses. Scientists from the National Toxicology Program, who conducted the tests, expressed “some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A.” They made other assessments as well, but concern for babies seems to have gained the most traction.
That concern has taken a long time, considering BPA has been around since at least 1891, has been known to mimic estrogen for over half a century and has been the subject of controversy for at least the past decade. Is it possible that the rising autism stats forced the FDA to be more thorough about its recommendation? Harvard's 2009 study showing 70% BPA spikes in urine after a week of drinking from chemical-laced bottles added clear pressure, as did the anti-BPA stance from Whole Foods, Walmart and Trader Joe's, which started eliminating certain products containing BPA. If you don't shop at any of those stores, however, you should always consider how you treat the plastics in your household. Heating plastic in the microwave or the dishwasher or in a pot of boiling water should always be avoided. Heating = Leaching.
But even with a forthcoming, comprehensive ban on BPA in food containers, we'd still be exposed. The alleged list of common items containing the chemical includes gasoline receipts at the pump, sunglasses, recycled paper, DVDs, CDs and pizza cartons. Is this why some people carry Lysol wipes at all times?
Unless we want to trade in our BPA for a case of OCD, we can forget about trying to avoid every single environmental hazard that's out there. The best approach may be to drink lots of water (from a glass), sweat by way of exercise, juice plenty of fresh veggies and do some healthy, natural detoxing whenever you can. NewsSip
