FDA Science Board Subcommittee Report On BPA

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 31 Oct 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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On 28 October 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Science Board Subcommittee released a review of the FDA's draft assessment of bisphenol A (BPA). The Subcommittee report will be discussed by the FDA Science Board on 31 October 2008.
In its report the Subcommittee challenges the criteria FDA is currently using to assess which research should be taken into consideration for regulatory purposes.

In its statement following the release of the Subcommittee's report, the FDA, whilst confirming that it is undertaking further analysis of BPA, clearly states that:

-- "..based on all available evidence, the present consensus among regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan is that current levels of exposure to BPA through food packaging do not pose an immediate health risk to the general population, including infants and babies." http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01908.html

With regards to Europe, the PC/BPA Group of PlasticsEurope underlines that the scientific assessment of BPA by regulators remains one of the most rigorous, conclusive and up-to-date examinations of the safety of any substance in Europe today:

-- The updated European Union (EU) Risk Assessment of June 2008 on bisphenol A (BPA) concluded that BPA-based products are safe in their intended uses.

-- For the BPA EU Risk Assessment, government experts considered several hundreds of studies, among them both small exploratory studies that do not follow established protocols, as well as comprehensive, statistically-robust studies following accepted international protocols and standards.

-- The updated opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), July 2008, having taken into account recently published science, states clearly that food contact materials such as polycarbonate plastic baby bottles and drinking bottles and epoxy resin-coated food and drink cans are safe for consumers in their intended uses.

-- On 24 October 2008, EFSA issued an assessment of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on 16 September (Lang et al., 2008). EFSA concluded that the study provides no grounds to revise the current TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) level for BPA as derived by EFSA in 2006. consumer products remains its highest concern.

The PC/BPA Group will continue to respect and comply with the assessments of Europe's regulatory authorities.

http://www.bisphenol-a-europe.org

Source
Jasmin Bird
Communications Manager
Polycarbonate/BPA-group PlasticsEurope
http://www.pasticseurope.org