Industry Welcomes Regulator’s Claim That BPA Is Safe

The New Zealand and Australian food safety regulator’s affirmation of the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) has been welcomed by trade group the North American Metal Packaging Alliance (NAMPA).

In its March 2009 fact sheet on BPA, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), an independent statutory agency responsible for setting food standards in the two countries, said that BPA does not cause cancer and low levels of the packaging chemical do not pose a significant health risk.

John Rost, chairman of NAMPA, urged U.S. legislators to consider this development when assessing the validity of tabled legislation in the US Senate and House of Representatives aiming to ban BPA in food and drink containers: “This is critically important information that must not be overlooked.”

FSANZ referenced reviews of BPA undertaken by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in reaching its conclusion, and it noted that estimated daily exposures of BPA in the two assessments were found to be well within the ‘safe limits’ for both children and adults.

“Some studies in laboratory animals suggest that low levels of (consumed) BPA may have an effect on the reproductive system. Similar consequences in consumers at these low concentrations are considered unlikely because BPA is rapidly inactivated and then excreted in the urine,” stated the regulator.

Source: FoodProductionDaily.com