Chemical in Baby Formula Cans
It is a non-organic that has never been substantiated to brought about health problems in grown-up's, or even babies in small doses. And it is one that the United States Food and Drug Administration has told is safe.
But an announcement previous Friday by a research and advocacy group that the chemical Bisphenol-A was found in the inner lining of infant formula cans has a number of public health experts worried that babies consuming the formula can experience long-term developmental effects.
Bisphenol-A, or BPA for short, is a chemical mostly made in the production of certain types of plastics and resins used to coat metal. Because the chemical is so widely used, about 93% of humans in the U.S show signs of exposure to it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
No people study has ever shown that this level of exposure causes harm. But the Environmental Working Group increased a red flag Wednesday with a report that the chemical was found in the inner linings of infant formula cans — possibly increasing babies' BPA exposure.
Some public health experts stopped short of labeling the chemical a definite threat — though they noted the matter still warrants investigation.
"While no one knows for sure, the better science right now is on the side of concern, rather than reassurance," said Dr. Alan Ducatman, chair of community medicine at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown.
But some are more adamant in their concerns.
"Those of us who do research on brain and behavioral development believe the public needs to be concerned," said Dr. Bernard Weiss, professor in the department of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Part of the problem, Weiss told, is that the FDA is "behind current science and relies on old criteria." The approaches currently used are not adequate to determine whether a real threat exists, he says.
Frederick vom Saal, curators' professor at the University of Missouri Division of Biological Sciences in Columbia
Current statements by the FDA that BPA is safe are reminiscent of the response of the FDA to new findings concerning Vioxx, which were ignored by FDA officials until a whistle-blower went public that the FDA was unwilling to acknowledge that there was evidence that Vioxx posed a significant threat to human health," he said.
Comments
No comments yet. Be first!