Since early May the whole plastic bottles and Bisphenol-A (BPA) issue has been coming to head and there is plenty of information on both sides of the argument. Here at Grassroots we aim to bring you all of the facts available to us from outside sources as well as from our main bottle manufacturers; Nalgene and Camelbak.
To that end, here is an update of resources on the BPA issue. Overall, please take the time to educate yourself about the real concerns use your best sense in judgment on this issue. There is plenty of information describing the health concerns.
1. Testimony from the director of the FDA’s Office of Science and Health Coordination provided May 14, 2008, before a U.S. Senate subcommittee.
2. Statement from Health Canada dated May 29, 2008, regarding safety of canned foods, generally recognized as the most prevalent source of dietary exposure to BPA.
3. Statement from the European Chemicals Bureau (part of the European Commission’s Joint Research Center) dated June 13, 2008.
4. Summary of a comprehensive study conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which released its opinion in January 2007.
5. June 11, 2008, Expert Panel Finds NTP Overstated Concerns about BPA’s Mammary Gland, Puberty Effects originally stated in April.
(In Partnership with SNEWS, Grassroots brings you a comprehensive look at the Controversial BPA Debate)
Since SNEWS® first addressed the issue of BPA leeching into water in a Nov. 12, 2003, story, “Sierra magazine story causes stir over Lexan safety” (click here to read), the curiosity and mild concern over possible human health impacts has turned into a feeding frenzy whipped up by government and media reports and devoured by consumers. On Dec. 6, 2007, Canadian retailer MEC announced that it was pulling all polycarbonate bottles from its shelves “until guidance is provided by the government of Canada on the health risks posed by BPA.” (Click here to read the SNEWS® story.)
The irony in all of this is that we are collectively experiencing far more exposure to BPA through the lining of canned goods than from any water bottle we’ve ever used. Every can on every kitchen shelf is likely lined with a coating that contains BPA. Yes, the canned food industry is now scrambling to find alternatives too, but no one is suffering quite the brunt of scorn and media ridicule as Nalgene. The company was an easy and, as we’ve stated, unfair target. But, that’s now moot. By this time next year, we expect that polycarbonate bottles and containers still in the retail pipeline will have been depleted, replaced instead with alternatives, including the new Eastman product Tritan. Of course, who knows if some scientist down the road will not find something bad about Tritan, too. Only time will tell, but let’s hope for the best.
Please read the full article by the SNEWS Staff here
To read other articles and resources provided by Grassroots Manufacturers on BPA please go here.
The Food & Drug Administration has formed an agency-wide BPA (Bisphenol A) task force to facilitate cross-agency review of current research and new information on BPA for all FDA regulated products. As a result of this review, the task force will make recommendations to the Commissioner regarding next steps.
As part of the evaluation, the FDA Task Force is reviewing the concerns presented in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Draft Brief published on April 14, 2008 by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. We also are reviewing the concerns presented in the Canadian draft risk assessment released in April 2008 and are coordinating closely with Health Canada and the Canadian Ministry of the Environment and Minister of Health.
FDA has been reviewing the emerging literature on BPA on a continuous basis.
For example, FDA has recently completed a review of the available biological fate data and two recently completed rodent multigeneration reproductive studies; these studies did not indicate a safety concern for BPA at current exposure levels. In addition, FDA is conducting a review of the data on neural and behavioral effects of BPA exposure.
Based on our ongoing review, we believe there is a large body of evidence that indicates that FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects. However, we will continue to consider new research and information as they become available.
This position is consistent with two risk assessments for BPA conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food and the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Each of these documents considered the question of a possible low-dose effect and concluded that no current health risk exists for BPA at the current exposure level.
At this time, FDA is not recommending that anyone discontinue using products that contain BPA while we continue our risk assessment process. However, concerned consumers should know that several alternatives to polycarbonate baby bottles exist, including glass baby bottles.
http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol/BPADraftBriefVF_04_14_08.pdf
Over the past couple of days there has been a lot of information and misinformation in the press on BPA and plastic bottles in general. For our member stores this sent a lot of customers to them trying to get the facts straight. We petitioned our foremost partners in the hydration industry, Nalgene and Camelbak, for their side of the story and received overwhelming support on the issue. We would like to commend both Nalgene and Camelbak for taking the time to educate not only the public but Grassroots members specifically on this issue. We received very timely replies when these companies were scrambling to issue Press Releases and clarify the real issue of BPA to the American public. We urge all consumers to educate themselves on the issue of BPA in hydration systems and to consider the information that is supplied from the manufacturers, as they have the public interest in mind with their products and thoroughly test their products. Please review the links below for more information on this very important topic. Thank you! Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
RESOURCES ON BPA: Camelbak BPA FAQ; Camelbak BPA Statement to Grassroots from CEO; Nalgene.com; BPA and Nalgene; Nalgene Choice- Information Resource
