A common chemical often used in plastics is getting another look from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to an article from E&E News. The agency reportedly agrees to reconsider the health risks of BPA, or bisphenol A, a compound that often serves as an additive in the production of polycarbonate, a type of hard plastic used in consumer products such as reusable water bottles.
According to the article, the FDA’s response was spurred by a January petition from the Environmental Defense Fund and numerous partners, which called on regulators to limit BPA in food packaging. While its counterparts in Europe have reportedly moved forward on limiting the chemical, the FDA has thus far avoided cracking down on BPA, consistently telling the public that the use of BPA in food packaging and containers is safe. The agency did ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles and sippy cups in 2012 after the industry voluntarily stopped using BPA in these products.
Read the entire article here.
