Today an advisory panel convened on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration held a public meeting on bisphenol A (BPA). An FDA official furthered the message that American exposure levels are too low to pose a health risk, though she also acknowledged that "concerning questions" have been raised by some scientific studies. One such study came out today; it involved a health survey of nearly 1500 adults, and it found that people exposed to higher levels of BPA were more likely to have heart disease and diabetes. That is far from a smoking gun, but it does beg for some follow-up. If further studies continue to find links between BPA exposure and health problems, the FDA can ban BPA in food containers and medical devices.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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2 comments:
This is such a tough issue. My father in law has worked in the plastics industry as a materials engineer his entire career. Of course he was the first one I went to when this issue first made the news and he assured me that if there was anything I should ever be concerned about we would be the first to know because he wouldn't want his grandsons in harms way. He said pretty much the same thing the scientists are saying that there is only risk from soft plastics, i.e. saran wrap and that you shouldn't microwave with it. So of course, I believe him and am cautious that all these studies and government panels are just another part of the hysteria. But I don't know, which makes this a bigger conundrum to me. I guess only time will tell with more studies and tests.
By the way, keep up the good work, I love getting your emails, I work full time and your emails help keep me in the know without having to do all the leg work. Thank you.
-Alison in Colorado
Thank you for the kind and insightful comment!
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