The state of Oregon is joining a number of other states and entities in implementing a BPA ban in baby bottles, sippy cups, baby formula cans, and reusable sports beverage containers. Unlike other moves, Oregon is seeking an additional rule: That manufacturers include that items contain BPA – bisphenol A – have that indicated on labels and packaging, said Sightline Daily.
The Oregon Environmental Council has opened up a Facebook page to garner support for its legislation and brings up a good point regarding the proposed transparency in labeling and packaging, said Sightline Daily. If manufacturers really want to stand behind their products and have nothing to hide, there should be no issue posting a product’s chemical ingredients, including Hazardous Chemical Substances such as BPA and phthalates.
Nine states have banned BPA in baby bottles; Connecticut and Vermont have also banned BPA from infant-formula cans and baby-food jars. Washington is implementing a two-part ban that initiates on July 1 and mandates that no one can manufacture or sell a “bottle, cup, or other containers, except a metal can, that contains bisphenol A if that container is designed or intended to be filled with any liquid, food, or beverage primarily for consumption” for children age three years old and under, said Sightline Daily, quoting the mandate. Effective July 1, 2010, the manufacture and sale of reusable sports bottles containing BPA will be banned.
Oregon attempted to implement a BPA ban in 2010, but the measure failed mostly due to, said Sightline Daily, the inclusion of baby food containers; the Washington ban excludes metal cans, even if those cans are used for baby food. It seems that BPA, a tin can liner, leaches out of the can and into the food, according to Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
According to EWG: “For 1 in 10 cans of all food tested, and 1 in 3 cans of infant formula, a single serving contained enough BPA to expose a woman or infant to BPA levels more than 200 times the government’s traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals,” quoted Sightline Daily.
Canada banned BPA from baby bottles in 2008 and other bans are in progress in the U.S. California recently sought public comment on the issue, but no word on what is in store next.
Hundreds of studies have linked BPA “bisphenol” to toxic injury and life-threatening illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, intestinal problems, brain cell connection interference, increased risks of reproductive and immune system diseases and disorders, problems with liver function testing, interruptions in chemotherapy, and premature puberty. We have also long written about the Toxic Substance’s links to PCOS, female fertility issues, erectile dysfunction, and male sexual problems. In addition to growing concern over the negative impact of BPA on health and the environment, and despite tremendous public support for increased regulation concerning toxic chemicals, Congress has continued to act on the side of the industry. Most recently, BPA has been linked, again, to sperm health issues but, this time, the study involved humans.
BPA is a plastic hardening chemical whose ubiquity is legendary.
