Chemical Industry Reverses Its Position on Toxic Chemical BPA
After the exciting news that California Governor Brown had passed bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles and sippy cups, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) came out with a shocking statement.
According to an ACC email sent to Gretchen Lee Salter, policy manager of the Breast Cancer Fund, “There is no reason to worry about bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles and children’s sippy cups, because the plastic additive is no longer used in those products in the United States.” Along with this statement, the ACC announced that they would be petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to ban BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups.
This was an stunning statement, considering the years and millions of dollars ACC had poured into lobbying efforts since the first bill limiting BPA was introduced in the state Legislature. The ACC had also vigorously opposed state efforts to regulate BPA in children’s feeding products.
So why did the trade group do a complete 180 on their stance on BPA? A lot of it had to do with the mounting awareness and scientific evidence about BPA’s health hazards, and consumer pressure, arguing that BPA has no place in food packaging.
“No matter how much money [the American Chemistry Council] spends, no parent, grandparent or concerned person will stand by while our kids are used as guinea pigs with a chemical that can seriously harm their immediate and long-term health,” said Barbara Boxer, who has been a strong advocate of legislature limiting BPA.
We couldn’t agree more–this is a clear victory for children’s health. The reversal of industry’s position on BPA speaks to the power of consumer pressure, and shows that we should not stop fighting now. It’s now time for industry to move forward and support legislative efforts to rid BPA from all packaging.
Read more details about this exciting news in New York Times article, Chemical Industry Shifts on BPA After Spending Millions to Fight Legislation.
Check out an interview with Mary Brune, MOMS Project Director, in Oakland North’s article, New California law will limit bisphenol A in products for infants and toddlers.