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FDA Says BPA Safe, Some Disagree, Including Us

By Kristie Turck •  Published 08/17/08 •  3 min read

Last updated on August 19th, 2022 at 11:20 pm

I’m sure you have all heard by now that the FDA recently deemed Bisphenol-a safe, and poses no threat to humans at the levels contained in consumer products. I can’t say I am surprised. In a draft ruling on Friday the document concluded that an “adequate margin of safety exists for BPA at current levels of exposure from food contact uses”. I wish I was more excited about that ruling but I can’t really throw my weight behind their decision for a few reasons.

I have a hard time believing that all the independent (i.e. not funded by pro-plastic advocates) studies done this year indicating there was reason to question BPA in the first place are all wrong. As we know, babies are far more sensitive to chemical exposure than adults and could prove to have more intense effects from repeated and cumulative exposure. Still, groups who stick their head in the sand in regards to BPA’s safety will stand behind it and fight tooth and nail, doing whatever it takes to convince consumers otherwise. Unfortunately for the rest of us, there isn’t much we can do about it besides choose alternatives. Luckily, companies recognize we want safer choices and are making them available to us.

I do admit it is possible that the levels adults are exposed to could be less harmful, so banning it from products we don’t eat from like CD cases and sunglasses isn’t totally necessary…. but when you think about the amount of that stuff that ends up in a landfill seeping into our water system, I can’t with good conscious support it in any way shape or form. When it comes to our babies and kids drinking from that plastic day in and day out, as a parent, I’d like to see the chemical at the very least, banned from childrens products entirely.

The President just signed a law banning phthalates from children’s products last week… it’s time to add BPA to the list. In the past the FDA has stated with gumption that phthalates are safe and now they have been banned from childrens products. The inconsistencies are just too ridiculous to give them any weight. “It’s safe, ok not safe for kids, no its safe… ok maybe not… wellllll yeah its kind of safe.” That’s just not good enough for me.

For now, SafeMama™ stands behind the independent research findings and will always recommend choosing safer, non-toxic and when possible non-plastic alternatives for kids and babies.

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