FDA research on BPA widens, intensifies
June 11th, 2008 joshua
The Food and Drug Administration’s chief scientist asked the Science Board chair to establish a subcommittee to investigate bisphenol A in plastics.
The committee will hold a public meeting on the matter, combine those findings with an FDA Task Force report on the subject and report to regulation heads in the fall.
In April of this year, the FDA was sparked into action after several published reports confirmed suspicions about BPA’s link to behavioral disorders and brain dysfunction, namely in children.
BPA is a chemical addition to plastics making the material more flexible and shatter-resistant. It is a popular component of drinking containers, especially baby bottles.
In April, the National Toxicology Program released findings based on animal testing which showed neurological dysfunction which suggests BPA could have the same effect on developing brains.
According to an FDA release, “in addition to the NTP’s Draft Brief on BPA, the FDA Task Force is reviewing available information on BPA in numerous other risk assessment documents from scientific and regulatory bodies worldwide.”
