ALAFCS Resolution:  Bisphenol A

             

W

hereas bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in plastic bottles and the lining of metal food cans; and

 

Whereas BPA has been associated with health risks to include reproductive system abnormalities, prostate cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and child asthma; and

 

Whereas thousands of products containing BPA are dumped in landfills each year and may potentially contaminate groundwater; and

 

Whereas an alternative to BPA exists; and  

 

Whereas the Food and Drug Administration and other U.S. health agencies have pledged $30 million toward research to clarify BPA’s effects on environment, brain development, reproduction, and potential carcinogenicity; therefore

 

Be it resolved that the ALAFCS support local, statewide, and national educational programs and policies 1) that are designed to help individuals and families avoid exposure to BPA and 2) that encourage the banning of BPA in food packing and other consumer products.

 

Rationale

 

AAFCS founder Ellen Swallow Richards paved the way for food and consumer safety through research and educational efforts.  The safety of BPA in food packing and other consumer products is uncertain. 

 

A study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found BPA in 93% of the 2517 people sampled; the CDC data is considered representative of exposures in the United States.  

 

The Food and Drug Administration has recommended the public take steps to reduce exposure to BPA.

Impact statement

Members have expertise in food safety and consumer protection matters.  They have the capacity to bring potential safety hazards to the attention of communities, and to rally a grassroots effort to prevent unsafe goods from being brought into the state of Alabama. 

The existing technology and communication systems allows dissemination of this resolution and other resources related to this issue to ALAFCS members and affiliated organizations at no financial cost.

Consumers look to Family and Consumer Sciences professionals to lead the way in food safety and care for the home. 

Suggested Implementation Strategies

  • Use this resolution and rationale to build partnerships such as with the Dietetics Association and media so the message will be shared with the masses.
  • Contact elected officials to encourage the banning of BPA in food packaging. 
  • Make contact with food and beverage companies to demand the removal of BPA from food packaging such as Ball lids and canned food.
  • Engage in policy actions that discourage the importation and production of unsafe products in the state of Alabama. 
  • Create a repository of educational resources and develop a guide of ideas to help families prevent BPA in their diet. 
  • Respond during the FDA’s public comment period on BPA at regulations.gov. 

Selected References

 

Bennett, D. (2009, February 1). Is bisphenol A to blame for rise in male anomalies? Urology Times, 37(2), 21-23. 

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, Executive Summary.  Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/executive_summary.html#

 

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, National Toxicology Program. (2008). Bisphenol A Fact Sheet.  Retrieved from http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/docs/bpa-factsheet.pdf

 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Update on Bisphenol A for Use in Food Contact Applications: January 2010.  Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm197739.htm