Recent studies into a common chemical found in plastics and resins have revealed that the average American is exposed to dangerous levels of the compound. Americans are exposed to 5,000 times higher than what the European Union considers to be safe.
The chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is typically exposed to people via plastic and metal food packaging. BPA tends to be commonly used in food packaging to line metal cans in order to prevent corrosion. But plenty of safer alternatives exist.
The comprehensive reviews of the studies have prompted a call for strong new limits on its usage.
Consumer advocates and food safety scientists, led by the Environmental Defense Fund, sent a petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week warning that the review shows BPA exposures represent a “high health risk” for Americans of all ages.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) made a comprehensive review of studies. The research pointed to evidence that harm from BPA exposure can occur at much less lowers exposure, a whopping 100,000 times lower, than previously thought. It means that scientists are now discoing that levels previously thought to be safe are not safe.
The petition coauthor, Maricel Maffini, said that the FDA has an obligation to protect American citizens from toxic chemicals that can come into contact with food and that the findings should be a wake-up call for the FDA. Maffini said that public health is at serious risk and is in jeopardy unless the government takes swift action to limit BPA exposure.
The FDA has 180 days to respond to the petition, but it could take even longer due to it being a complex issue.
The FDA’s science and its position on BPA has historically been at odds with the science and position of academic scientists and advocates, and even at odds with the U.S. National Toxicology Program and the FDA’s own advisory committees.
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