"Should Pregnant Women Be Concerned About BPA?" By Steve Hentges. A recent study from French government researchers reported new results on the exposure of pregnant women to more than 100 substances that might be a concern for the health of a developing fetus.  The study examined exposure to various metals (e.g., lead, mercury, arsenic) and many common organic compounds that we might encounter in our daily lives. Included in the study was bisphenol A (BPA), which is used primarily as a building … [Read more...]

"The European Food Safety Authority has Looked Again… and Confirms: No Need to Change the Safety Threshold for BPA," By BPACoalition.org. “Saying something, is one thing; proving it is another” The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently conducted a review of two studies on BPA, and confirmed that there is no need to change the safety threshold for BPA. The former conclusion remains valid: BPA doesn’t pose any risks for health, at levels we’re incidentally exposed to in our daily lives. … [Read more...]

"BPA-Free, With Regrets," By Steve Hentges. Not that many years ago, many reusable food and beverage containers on the market worldwide were made from polycarbonate plastic.  Polycarbonate, which is made from bisphenol A (BPA), is an almost ideal material for these products since its clarity is comparable to glass, making it easy to see what’s inside, and it’s virtually shatter-proof – an important attribute for consumer products that could be dropped.   For years though, BPA has attracted … [Read more...]

"BPA Is Everywhere, Except Where It’s Not," By Steve Hentges. With the high level of attention to bisphenol A (BPA) over the years, it’s easy to get the impression that BPA is everywhere and we’re constantly being exposed to high and harmful levels in our daily lives. You might even have seen BPA referred to as an “everywhere chemical.” Adding to the confusion, the media is notorious for attaching pictures of products that contain absolutely no BPA to articles about BPA. Perhaps the most common … [Read more...]

"Too Much BPA?, ByThe Center for Accountability in Science Team. A study published in Environmental Research last week fanned the flames of anti-chemical activists when it drew a link between canned food consumption and the presence of increased levels of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in the urine. The study itself isn’t what we take issue with. In fact, it brought together some of the brightest minds at Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and Columbia Universities. Their research was thorough, encompassing over … [Read more...]

"Study on BPA and Hypermineralisation Makes us Almost Drop our Teeth," By BPA Coalition. Medical Research (INSERM) presented a study at the 18th European Congress of Endocrinology claiming that exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) could weaken teeth development in children. More specifically they link BPA exposure to Molar Incisor Hypermineralisation (MIH); it affects 18% of young children between 6 and 9, as their permanent first molars and incisors are more sensitive and prone to cavities. While the … [Read more...]

"If It’s Science vs. Motherhood, Can Science Ever Win?" By Ben Miyares. In a bit of unfinished business, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added bisphenol A (BPA) to its Proposition 65 list of chemicals “known to the state to cause reproductive toxicity” last year. It now proposes to amend the rule. I say “unfinished business” because listing of the chemical requires businesses that expose individuals to more than a California-determined level of the chemical … [Read more...]

"Before You Give Up Canned Food, Read This," by Center for Accountability in Science. It’s been a big week for BPA news. First, Campell’s announced it was phasing out the use of BPA in its canned foods. Then several environmental activist groups released a report finding that over 60 percent of canned foods still use BPA. But before you start throwing out your canned goods over health fears, let’s break down the research. There’s a reason BPA is used in canned foods. Read more. … [Read more...]

School Meals, not the Problem! By BPA Coalition. Recently a study published by researchers at Stanford in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environment Epidemiology has alleged that school meals may expose children to “unsafe levels of BPA”. The author Jennifer Hartle said she was “shocked to see that virtually everything in school meals came from a can or plastic packaging”. But does her shock at the use of plastic mean it is unsafe? Before getting lost in the jungle of individual studies, … [Read more...]

"Reducing Food Waste in Europe – BPA’s Contribution," by BPA Coalition. According to a new study carried out by scientists from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, Europeans waste an average of 123 kg of food per capita annually, or 16% of all food reaching consumers. In total, this would mean 47 million tons of food waste annually. Though there are many ways to better preserve and utilise food, packaging and canning food is one principle methods. Effective canning requires the use … [Read more...]

"Bisphenol F in Mustard? No Problem!" by SaferFruitsandVeggies.com. Here’s a fact you most certainly didn’t know: Bisphenol F, another substance in the “bisphenol” group, is naturally formed in mustard, and humans have been ingesting it for a long time with little consequence. BPF, like BPA, is an endocrine active substance. Interestingly, according to a recent study from the Swiss Food Safety Administration (BLV), the average person takes in about three times more BPF  from mustard consumption … [Read more...]

"Should You Avoid Canned Food?" By the Center for Accountability in Science. The Environmental Working Group (EWG)—the same group that publishes a scaremongering annual report on sunscreen safety—is now trying to discourage the consumption of canned foods. In a new report, EWG argues that since a large amount of the canned items on consumer shelves use bisphenol A (BPA) in can linings, consumers should “limit or avoid canned food.” EWG claims BPA poses a health risk to consumers, but fails to … [Read more...]

"New Study Challenges Assumptions about BPA and Babies," By Center for Accountability in Science. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is everywhere–it’s a key ingredient in plastics, used in the lining of cans, and countless other applications. Even after it was phased out of baby bottles and sippy cups, researchers have still found levels of BPA in infants. And even though recent comprehensive reviews of BPA research by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority concluded BPA poses … [Read more...]

"Dr. Oz Exaggerates Scientific Findings…Again," By Center for Accountability in Science. In their recent column, Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, of the Cleveland Clinic once again spread misinformation about the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA). Dr. Joseph Perrone of the Center for Accountability in Science wrote a letter to the editor in response: "The recent column by Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen (“Get the science behind BPA’s risk to your health,” March 31) … [Read more...]

"Exposure To BPA – It’s Not What Some People Think," By Steve Hentges. Both the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have recently released assessments that strongly support the safety of bisphenol A (BPA). In both cases, a body of studies documenting 1) low exposure, primarily from the diet; 2) efficient metabolism as BPA is absorbed in the gut; and 3) rapid elimination from the body provide key support for the safety conclusions. In contrast, a … [Read more...]

"A Taxpayer-Funded Family Feud," By Tom Schatz. It is bad enough when an agency spends taxpayer money foolishly, but it is even worse when those expenditures end up undermining the conclusions of another agency. Between 2000 and 2014, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sent $172.7 million in grant money to scientists to study the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and its effect on humans, particularly as an endocrine … [Read more...]

"The BPA Paradox – Too Many Studies?" By Steve Hentges. For many years, scientists around the world have been intensely interested in bisphenol A (BPA), a common chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. But what have we learned from the supersized investment in research on this one chemical, and what can we expect in the future? Recent articles suggest that we haven’t learned as much as might be expected from such a large investment, but more research on BPA is probably in … [Read more...]

"The Alternative Universe In Which BPA Is A Major Health Threat," By Geoffrey Kabat. With an estimated 40 percent of Americans, according to a Harvard poll, worried that they could contract Ebola, two days ago the journal PLoS ONE published a paper which claims to show that handling of cash register receipts puts you a risk of myriad diseases. The paper is from a group at the University of Missouri headed by Frederick vom Saal, a biologist who has the distinction of being the driving force … [Read more...]

"BPA in the Media – Let’s Read Between the Lines Before Drawing Conclusions," by BPA Coalition. This fall, writing about science has been the new black. However, communicating science to non-scientists is more difficult than one may think. Keeping the meaning intact while getting rid of the jargon often proves a daunting exercise. And unfortunately, readers, unless scientists themselves, often cannot make the difference between an informed and an uninformed piece. This why we compiled an … [Read more...]

"Bogus Anti-BPA Research," by By Erik Telford. Based on reading trend articles and the little stickers affixed to Nalgene water bottles, one might readily conclude that BPA, the common acronym for bisphenol A, is the contemporary danger to public health that lead was half a century ago. BPA is a chemical used in the manufacture of many hard plastics and epoxy resins. When used in food packaging and containers, it helps to prevent spoilage, increases shelf life, and makes containers reusable. … [Read more...]

"Million Here, Million There for BPA: Politicized Research Marches On," by BiomonitoringInfo.org. An article in The Hill’s Congress Blog confirms what many of us who have been following the scientific literature have observed: Research spending on bisphenol A (BPA), including biomonitoring studies, has increased dramatically in recent years. BPA research frequently claims health effects from chemical exposure. As Mattie Duppler writes in “Millions for ‘pointless’ research” on Congress Blog, … [Read more...]

"Trust Robust Science, Don’t Blame BPA", By BPA Coalition. The exposure of a fraud who stoked BPA fears to advance his career should remind us all to trust robust science from authoritative sources. On September 10, NBC News in the United States revealed that Anoop Shankar, a researcher at West Virginia University, had fabricated his qualifications to obtain his position and also allegedly altered his research findings. This is of particular interest for the BPA Coalition because several of his … [Read more...]

"The Raging Controversy Over BPA Shows No Signs Of Abating," by Geoffrey Kabat (STATS). But that doesn’t mean that the two opposing sides have equal merit. In her “Poison Pen” blog in last week’s New York Times, the science writer Deborah Blum calls attention to new research that raises alarming questions about adverse effects on the female reproductive organs from exposure to BPA (bisphenol-A). Her article is titled, “In Plastics and Cans, a Threat to Women.” Blum described work by Jodi Flaws, … [Read more...]

"Dutch Public Health Institute ‘State of Knowledge’ on BPA: Not a Risk," By BPA Coalition. The news about bisphenol-A (BPA) continues. Last week, the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) issued Part 1 of its investigation into BPA. RIVM’s report did not evaluate or cite specific studies but summarizes conclusions from earlier evaluations. Part 1 “gives an overview of the state of knowledge about BPA”. The institute’s appraisal of the available information … [Read more...]

"Meet BPA-Free, The New BPA," By Steve Hentges. There’s an emerging trend, of late, in the seemingly endless saga of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which is most commonly used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Although the BPA saga has not yet become completely passé, much of the attention that had been given to BPA is now focused on alternatives to BPA. Indeed, it seems that BPA-Free is becoming the new BPA. For what seemed an eternity, BPA had been at the center of a perfect … [Read more...]

"Are You Exposed To BPA, And Does It Matter?" By Steve Hentges. For quite a few years, one of the most popular chemicals for scientific inquiry has been bisphenol A (BPA). Scientists around the world have been conducting a diverse array of studies aimed at understanding whether BPA poses a risk to human health. Based on the weight of evidence from these many studies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently answered the question “Is BPA safe?” with a simple and unambiguous answer - … [Read more...]

"BPA A Concern For Breast Cancer? Not According To Study By Leading Environmental Group," by Trevor Butterworth, Stats.org. A massive synthesis of data from the National Toxicology Program and consensus reports from international cancer authorities has identified 102 chemicals as critical for breast cancer research and prevention. The list, compiled by researchers from the Silent Spring Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health, is derived from studies of chemical exposures and mammary … [Read more...]

"FDA: No Low-Dose Chemical Dangers," by Dennis Avery. The Food and Drug Administration has just loudly re-endorsed perhaps the oldest truth in science—that the dose makes the poison. Paracelsus, the father of toxicology, told us 500 years ago, “All substances are poison. There is none which is not a poison. The right dose makes the difference between a poison and a remedy.” Even sunlight and water are poisons at high doses. The FDA has just commented on a new study which found no health impact … [Read more...]

"Left Wants EPA To Ban Chemical FDA Says Isn't Harmful," By Merrill Mathews. President Ronald Reagan famously asserted, "The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program." He might have added that the second nearest thing is a completely discredited left-wing cause. Exhibit A: Since the left can't convince the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to outlaw the chemical BPA, it wants the Environmental Protection Agency to take over. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is … [Read more...]

"Canadian Government Study: Death From Overeating Before Any Risk From BPA," By Trevor Butterworth, STATS.org. The Canadian government, which helped to trigger worldwide fears about the effects of trace amounts of BPA in food by using the precautionary principle to guide risk management, continues to produce studies showing that precautionary thinking is wildly off the mark on BPA. The latest study on BPA sampled 403 domestic and imported cans containing fruit, vegetables, juices, other … [Read more...]

"BPA: The Scientists, The Scare, The 100-Million Dollar Surge," by Trevor Butterworth. Conspiracy, incompetence, a federal agency out of control. A recent Mother Jones story by Mariah Blake indicts the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a threat to science and public health over the way it’s conducting research into bisphenol A (BPA), the never-ending chemical scare story of the 21st century. Raise the alarm (again), stir the pot (again), marshal outrage (again). And, if you have no other … [Read more...]

"BPA Is A-OK, Says FDA," by Henry I. Miller. Many non-scientists are increasingly confused and dismayed by the constantly changing advice that comes from medical, nutritional and other researchers. Some of that confusion is due to the quality of the evidence, which is dependent on a number of factors, while some is due to the very nature of science: We form hypotheses and then perform experiments to test them. As the data accumulate and various hypotheses are rejected, we become more confident … [Read more...]

"The FDA On BPA Safety," By Steve Hentges. In June 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) answered the question “Is BPA safe?” with a simple and unambiguous answer – “Yes.” In contrast, countless words have been written over many years suggesting exactly the opposite.  To get to that straightforward answer, FDA initiated an in-depth research and testing program on bisphenol A (BPA) about five years ago.  Although there is more to come, the 15 studies published so far, most recently … [Read more...]

"Maybe BPA Isn't So Bad After All," by Jon Hamilton. The plastic additive has been by environmental advocacy groups. But the chemical had no effect on rats fed thousands of times the amount a typical person ingests, government scientists are in the journal Toxicological Sciences. The results "both support and extend the conclusion from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that BPA is safe as currently used," says , a research chemist with the FDA's. Scientists agree that in large doses, BPA … [Read more...]

"If You Are Scared Of BPA, JAMA Will Make You Happy," By Hank Campbell. Human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) has recently been linked to negative health claims, like a decline in reproductive function in adults and stunted neurodevelopment in children, and so people consumed with the 'natural' fallacy have been up in arms about it. It hasn't quite become 'BPA causes autism' hysteria, like they did with vaccines, but it is getting close. Naturally, companies have listened to the nocebo worries of … [Read more...]

"Study Confirms Human BPA Levels Very Low, Non-Detectable: Contaminated Procedures May Have Accounted for Higher BPA Levels Found in Earlier Studies," by Biomonitoring Info. Researchers in Sweden report that BPA (bisphenol A) levels in blood are so low as to be undetectable and higher detected levels of the substance found in previous studies may be attributed to contamination. The findings raise the possibility that concern about the widely publicized chemical found in packaging for many food … [Read more...]

"EU BPA Evaluation must avoid 'Hysteria' and Focus on Scientific Evidence," By Rüdiger Baunemann. Regulatory authorities worldwide have found no health concern of BPA-based applications, therefore there is no scientifically justified reason for further restricting its use, argues Rüdiger Baunemann. Plastics have become indispensable to modern life, and a number of important materials are based on Bisphenol A (BPA). Without plastics we would not be able to enjoy high-tech devices like … [Read more...]

"BPA Exposure Is 'Too Low to Cause Harm,' According To Regulators; But You'd Never Know That From The Media Coverage," by Henry Miller. Suppose a new authoritative analysis revised the estimate of your lifetime chances of being struck by a meteorite — from, say, one in a hundred billion to one in ten billion. Should that tenfold increase in the probability make you any more worried? No– because both values are somewhere between negligible and infinitesimal. A similar and more pertinent question … [Read more...]

"Evidence Released Supporting BPA Safety," by Kari Embree. NAMPAThe North American Metal Packaging Alliance, Inc. (NAMPA) reminds consumers of the important scientific evidence released in 2013 that supports the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact applications. Data from key studies, including large-scale regulatory studies by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Environmental … [Read more...]

"A Debate that Causes Headaches: Rushed Conclusions from Recent Study on BPA," by BPA Coalition. A new study from the University of Kansas was published claiming that drinking water from plastic bottles and water coolers containing BPA could cause migraines. It has since been picked up by media such as the British Daily Mail which reported that the study imitated human exposure to BPA in a laboratory where rats were administered BPA once every three days. The results of the study allegedly … [Read more...]

"The Public Demonization Of Bisphenol-A: I Smell A Rat," by Patrick Michaels. I’ve been following the saga of Bisphenol-A, aka BPA, for over three years now, ever since I used it as a case study in my course “Public Science and Public Policy.” BPA is a current rage as a cause of all things evil: cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and probably flatulence. BPA in tiny amounts is in a lot of things that we eat that come out of a can. It’s a popular liner that prevents corrosion and extends … [Read more...]

"BPA Causes Miscarriages (Or So The Headlines Say)," by Steve Hentges. It was the late astronomer and author Carl Sagan who popularized the phrase “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” and originated the closely related concept of scientific skepticism. In the case discussed here, skeptics we should be. Last week we saw a flurry of media articles with headlines suggesting that exposure to the common chemical bisphenol A (BPA) increases the risk of miscarriage. Considering how … [Read more...]