You've probably heard about the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) used to make clear plastic and which has been proven to leech into bottled water. Well, it looks like the FDA is taking a harder look:
In a shift of position, the Food and Drug Administration is expressing concerns about possible health risks from bisphenol-A, or BPA, a widely used component of plastic bottles and food packaging that it declared safe in 2008.
The agency said Friday that it had “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children,” and would join other federal health agencies in studying the chemical in both animals and humans.
The action is another example of the drug agency under the Obama administration becoming far more aggressive in taking hard looks at what it sees as threats to public health.
The FDA plans to spend $30 million over the next two years to research the chemical. The hope is that they will confirm that BPA disrupts endocrine function leading to hormonal disorders, obesity, breast cancer, brain tumors, and reproductive deformities. Yep. This BPA is a bastard, worthy of more than a $30 million study. But we'll take it.