For quite some time now, consumers and lawmakers have been trying to get the Food and Drug Administration to ban a chemical known as bisphenol A, or BPA, from the packaging of various food and drink items. The FDA recently denied petitions calling for a ban on BPA in such items, but that doesn’t mean that the effort has been a complete loss.
Thanks to a clause about abandonment, the FDA is now seriously considering banning the chemical from containers of infant formula. Lawmakers were able to demonstrate that most manufacturers already no longer use BPA in their infant products containers. By positing this argument, petitions can be filed on the grounds that a certain item’s use has been abandoned anyway. Therefore, it becomes possible to avoid the safety issue entirely yet still get BPA banned.
A comment period has now been opened on BPA’s use in infant formula, and the FDA hopes to reach a final decision within 90 days.
New studies have suggested that BPA could contribute to cancer, heart disease, or behavioral problems in children that are exposed to it. However, this research has yet to prove anything conclusively. This, combined with the fact that many food and beverage makers still implement BPA within their packaging, led the FDA not to consider banning BPA’s use among all products.
No matter the safety issues, parents will likely be happy to hear they may not have to worry about their infant’s food coming into contact with BPA anymore.