Bisphenol-A Finally Makes the FDA’s Radar

I'd be impressed if the product were pulled until completion of the study confirmed it safe for use.

BPA was banned for use or import in all baby products and curtailed for any food or beverage containers 2009 in Canada; first country with a ban...others will follow soon.

There have been papers (or reports) of BPA being harmful since the 1930s? That is news. Guess we've been snookered again. I wonder how much damage has been done. IF BPA has been affecting a lot of the population - the use of the stuff was (is?) pervasive - and the consequences are serious this could be a bigger problem than asbestos or tobacco.

I wonder if any unis are doing independent research? That would be interesting.

I have heard a lot about how busy the FDA doing other things instead of changing nutrition labels so they are less deceptive and enforcing current standards on labels. They seem so busy, but for one, I don't know what they could possibly be doing that makes nutrition and potentially toxic chemicals less important. These issues effect lives. From those wondering why they aren't losing weight because the labels are off to trusting plastics with BPA which can cause serious health issues. These problems effect every one of us. Either the FDA needs to get their act together and start helping the consumer more efficiently, or create another organization that specifically targets these sort of issues. It isn't fair that my health (and everyone else's) is being jeopardized because the FDA is too slow or because they don't have enough resources.

Sometimes the FDA gives plastics and other additives the benefit of the doubt before testing. This isn't the judicial system where you are innocent until proven guilty. I would rather err on the side of caution and take studies more seriously. Obviously they cannot take all health claims seriously, but I think they wait too long before deciding that a chemical MAY be harmful. Look how long it took BPA to get under the FDA's radar! The consumer was well aware of the issues concerning BPA before the FDA even considered action. Why should the consumer suffer because the FDA is too slow and not as proactive as the manufacturers creating this junk? And why can't the manufacturers take some responsibility for the products that they are pushing at consumers?

A perspective: FDA's primary goal is to protect American business interests not the health and welfare of America's citizenry.

Yes we could save a lot of money by proving the initial research conducted in 1931

A perspective: FDA's primary goal is to protect American business interests not the health and welfare of America's citizenry.

They can hit two birds with one stone by enforcing better standards. Better quality business products have much better longevity than crappy ones, especially when they find out later that something they were using is really harmful. I am not saying that the health and welfare of American citizens should be #1, but providing accurate nutritional information and banning toxins that could leech into food so that consumers can make accurate food decisions should be high on their priorities.

If they cannot do this then they are going against one of their 'mission statements'. If their goal is to protect business interests and not the safety of public health, then they should be replaced, reused or recycled.

The FDA About Information:

"The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.

The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health."

Yep I see that write up and FDA is doing stuff with Canada and Mexico without checking with congress or the rules. The charter hasn't been changed only some language.

Hello Jaxy,

You have the exact words: "The health and welfare of American citizens should be #1". There is the hick. Money is the #1! Businesses are here to make money. Businesses are running the States business, tax collection from businesses and citizens on items made and sold, plus on salaries and expenses as equipment... When people are sick, doctors and drug stores make money and sick individuals paying hospitals and other healthcare organizations to operate. If all American population is healthy for only one year, we lose most of the pharmaceutical pill-makers, hospital suppliers, and many other "professionals" who tell people what to do to lose weight or live happier or longer. Just check the number of jogging operations. They are wealthier than our banks. They promise the best but we have more and more overweight people on the streets or in their couches eating chips.

Concerning BPA, we have to see if we can prove that some is leaching out from plastics containing it, and how much is in kg, g, per unit of weight or ppm.

Concerning FDA role, there is one on paper and one in reality. I am not accusing FDA to be unhonest with Americans. They work for helping to succeed and prosper big businesses. In one word: They help them make more "money"! Also, they, FDA people can make more "money" too. It's a simple math! Today, we have China, and we exploit the situation or relationship with Chinese suppliers as the target for errors. Lead on toys, BPA in plastic bottles, and we can name many...

My recommendations are the following: Don't worry about FDA, we cannot change them. So, don't buy water in bottle, boil tap water for 3 to 5 minutes and drink it. While? The stainless steel kettle don't transfer toxins to water and bacteries or other human ennemies are killed. Don't visit doctors for others than when you have a major accident. Why? They tell you that you have something but you don't have. Don't take any pills. Why? Because pills are complex chemicals foreigners to human and have side-effects that are worsth than the supposed health trouble. Imagine, in TOronto, SARS killed only in hospitals. Today, we have MEDICATIONS for every small "sore' and heavily advertised, so we cannot forget to buy them.

Eat healthy and you will be healthy, Gil.

You entirely misconstrued what I was saying. My exact quote was "I am not saying that the health and welfare of American citizens should be #1". Your whole comment is based on a partial quote that is not an accurate reflection of my opinion.

While I agree with a majority of your comment, I think that money is only as important as personal opinion. I don't think it is the money that is the problem, it is greed. Greed is what causes people to make mistakes and cause problems. Money itself is only a bargaining chip. Greed is what makes money more important than it is. If I get a toxin-poisoning that cripples me in some way, money means nothing at that point. Money may buy some things, but as the cliche goes, it will not buy you happiness (nor longevity).

Hi Jaxy,

Sorry for the partial quote but it's use went to the same final points!

You are right again, the greed is the main cause that people make with "calculated mistakes" or "mistakes by ignorance" create problems. However, greed can only be developed when money is available. Also, greed is the action and "money" is the goal or/and the result. Don't forget, money is power too! In the past, GM has money. They have the power to impose what they wanted. Now, they have no money, they try to attract people with cars (models with certain new features but still the size of an SUV) that have no future. Oil will be very expensive and in shortage within a few years. What is the solution for these big models? Cars without oil!

About happiness, I agree with you that money cannot buy it! However, people are motivated to have more and more money without seeing happiness, health and other important things for life as primordial to walk, smoke, eat, or do other daily actvities. Look around, rich people divorce more than others (poor). They are not happy with one partner, take another like in business for more profits.

One small remark: Money cannot buy happines but a minimum for good living, limited quantity of it, can allow a happy and healthy life.

If you think some food can transfer toxins or other poisonous products into your body, study all food you want to eat and you can eliminate danger.

Concerning the role of FDA (with or without BPA), the whole organization need to be transformed with new attitude to serve and protect people, which is their function. How they can do? How they have to act? Can "we" do something about? Wait for some suggestions from many, Gil.

For a little balance:

http://www.factsaboutbpa.org/what-are-the-bpa-myths

_{OMG! The water has dihydrogen oxide in it!}

Happy New Year Mikerho,

Concerning FDA, we have to forget the particular subject of BPA. There are many and more important questions to respond.

For example, today, all drug-makers produce, distribute, and heavily and aggressively advertise to everyone, "ask your doctor for and take it". Why? Because only a doctor can tell people that a "drug" will treat this or that illness, and will "cure" the patient. However, the advertising (the text) and doctors never tell you all kinds of side-effect of the drug can have on human. First, all chemicals in each drug is unknown by the human body. Human body don't know how treat this chemical and stay in our body for long and eventually accumulate and creates another problem(s), which is unknown by doctors as the body did. I have friends, retired, who take pills for every small inconvenience. Imagine the accumulation of toxic chemicals in their body. I am sure they are sicker than before the first pill taken.

I am working in science of chemicals for over five decades and honestly I recognize that I am ignorant in that area. I know only certain part, which are daily concens for me and my occupation. Imagine the doctors, they are the same. For this case, they are generalists, specialists in such and such area, because they don't have the knowledge on everything. Imagine they need to be doctors, chemists and biochemists at the same time to help us. It's too much for a human being, we have to recognize.

FDA has the obligation to protect us as citizens but they are not acting such way.

They give authorization to certain minority people the power to say and do what they want without punishing them when some error, major error occured. Why is that way?

Also, I am surprised that we have not more comments about the issue. People are afraid to manisfest their opinion. Use the first amendment! We have the right to say what is important to us?! Please, use a simple and polite language! It's an vital subject and we have to improve it, Gil.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/26456/Plastics-Chemical-Harms-Brain-Function-in-Monkeys

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/7143/BPA-Risks-Hype-or-Science

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/9993/Soda-Cans-Are-Really-Plastic-Bottles

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/9274/Human-Exposure-To-Controversial-Chemical-BPA-May-Be-Greater-Than-Dose-Considered-Safe

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/8725/Proposed-Bans-on-BPA-Picking-Up-Steam

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/47238

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/10340/More-Poisonous-Plastics-Consumers-Can-t-Catch-a-Break

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/5007

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/6694/Just-How-Harmful-Are-Bisphenol-A-Plastics

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/20453/Plastic-Plastic-Everywhere

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/212

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/47238/Study-Widespread-Chemical-Contamination-in-Infants

http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/sitesearch?do=show&sort=textmatchrank&srch=bpa&order=asc

Happy New Year!

I think we cannot change the actual situation about approval or disapproval of chemicals on the market. Certain people and organizations are immune to critics and not available to judgement as the law says.

For example, scientists in pharmaceutical companies, lawyers and judges, doctors, and other highly influencials in our society, they are immune to judgement.

Close to 4 decades ago we banned lead in paints but toy sellers bought because profits are huge. The manufacturer were penalized by returning the items to them.

Concerning polluting and dangerous products, we have legistlators who act following lines, which help the industries and never the buyers but the buyers pay the price for any health problems, never or very rarely the industries.

If my informations are good, in the US companies can buy products with flammable solvents from outside of the country and sell them without declaring solvents. In the other hand, companies need to declare bought solvents to produce the same products, and sell them the same way then the other group. The late companies are penalized when pass a limit of volume solvents. Why the difference?

Same thing with VOC in coatings. We have 50 states and we have 50 or close legislations about VOC, and I don't talk about certain solvents in one category and another state(s) consider in different category. Why "acetone" is not VOC, just flammable? Why when boiling point is higher than 200*C or more, the solvent is not a VOC?

Suggestion: We have to create a system that allow approval or disapproval without influences, interests, and greed. Is it possible? This is the question we have to answer.

All comments will contain all the time some or just critics because it involves judgement and approval in one direction or another. Directions, approvals, and judgements are pleasant for one but not for someone else. This is the problem, Gil.

Many tests have concluded the is a concern, starting about 1934 - 2008.

Is it that more testing is required to qualify the previous testing and testing done by governments of concerned countries?

Will this scenario continue to repeat?

The plastics industry and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say BPA is not dangerous at the levels people are currently exposed to. In contrast, in September of 2008, the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) concluded that there is "some concern" for adverse effects on the "brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children." This concern prompted members of Congress to pressure the FDA to take another look, a process that is now underway.

http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/id.8360,y.2010,no.1,content.true,page.1,css.print/issue.aspx

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es011081h

http://www.bisphenol-a.org/human/prodsafety.html

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola

I think it positively note worthy to acknowledge (BPA) effects humans diferently than as expect is true of other chemical/compounds too.

Hi Bwire,

Thanks for the documents, informations you put together!

Concerning the value or validity of the tests made by one and other organizations I have some questions. How come, one group has concerns, another's not?

This is the same judgement as during a car accident with a dead person at the end, in the first case, considered as an accident with a killed person. One judge give 36 months jailtime with parol within 12 months. Another judge, in another occasion, gives 6 years firm, concidering as a murder using the car as weapon.

If the tests are good, the judgement must be related to the results and not of the opinion of someone or a group. These opinions, most of the time not reflecting the reality, which get to the public. 99% of the population doesn't understand tests and cannot interprete results realistically. However, these opinions are the final papers, which distributed to us and we follow them. Also, the industry have an important role to select good products but again, accountants and greedy people manipulate the world for money.

Wait for better and more precise decisions from responsible people. Our health is the most important to protect, so, JUST DO IT!!!

Well sure...my contention is that which is being alluded to as requiring research today was known in 1930.

Hello Bwire,

I thought FDA is evolved during the last 80 years, but if your are saying the thruth and I believe in you but only you.

Oh, all this government organizations don't need to change, they will loose contact with corporations, and communication could become direct and understandable. This is a bad idea! Return to 1930s and we are correct again, Gil.

NB: What's happening with VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)? They are available to buy, use, and sell them in any compounds, including drugs. Drink tap water after boiling it for at least 3 minutes, Gil.

eh?

I find it remarkable that research culminating a result indicative of a substance as harmful to humans before production though having been ignored is now also ignored even in the face of evidence it was correct and so needed re-evaluation by those whom ignored it.

And in these procedures we should all place our collective trust? Right?

It has never been illegal to allow another to take advantage of one's self...but giving industry permission to do so with impunity is a CLM - career limiting move

Of course the electorate needs an education to acknowledge this

Hi Bwire,

You are excellent, if not perfect!

You just indiquate what's happened with GMC and other big organizations. They get the permission to do with impunity what they wanted, and hiddenly the career limiting move was made and slammmm! No more GMC! Ah, GMC is not a pharmaceutical, so they don't have any protection except the government who was there immediately to bail them out with our billions. Another perks for CEOs who perform in the negative directions.

And, we trust the government but they, the CEOs, took their full salaries and all perks! Hey, it was our money! Give them back! No, we cannot get back, they have the permission to take what they want. Ah, we cannot claim what was already taken by those guys? This is the "impunity"!!!

I like BisPhenol-A in epoxies. Why people don't like this innocent chemicals? We have to prove it is good for everything, Gil.