FDA Bans BPA in Baby Bottles

by Becky Striepe

Yesterday was a huge win for  families who have been lobbying for years to get toxic BPA out of baby bottles  and sippy cups.

The FDA announced yesterday that it’s going to ban BPA in children’s drinking  cups or bottles. Surprisingly, the American Chemistry Council – an industry  advocacy group – asked for the FDA ban, because consumer confidence in plastic  children’s products was dropping. Most manufacturers of baby bottles and sippy  cups were phasing out BPA before the ban came down today.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor and possibly linked to a wide range of health concerns from intestinal  inflammation to breast cancer. What’s important to remember about the FDA ban is  that it only affects baby bottles and children’s sippy cups, and you can find  BPA in a wide range of other products like:

• Some types of plastic food storage containers
• Soda cans
• Cans that hold food like beans and veggies
• Receipts
• Some canning jar lids

The FDA ban does not address any of the health issues associated with BPA.  Instead, the ruling states that it is banning BPA in sippy cups and  baby bottles “because these uses have been abandoned.”

While some are applauding the ban on BPA in baby bottles and children’s sippy  cups, many consumer advocacy groups are saying that this ban does not go far  enough. What do you think about the FDA ban on BPA?

Source: New York Times