Packaging Industry Fights Back Against BPA Report

by | May 20, 2010

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The North American Metal Packaging Alliance (NAMPA) is pushing back against a report by the National Workgroup for Safe Markets showing that bottles and cans lined with Bisphenol A (BPA) may be exposing consumers to high levels of the chemical, which has been shown to cause health and developmental problems in lab animals.

However, some manufacturers are already reducing or eliminating BPA from their packaging. General Mills subsidiary Muir Glen is eliminating BPA from its products, while companies like Eden Foods have been BPA-free for years.

Meanwhile, WholeFoods, CVS and Kmart are scaling back BPA in baby products, and Nestle Nutrition and Gerber have announced they will eliminate it as soon as possible. Canada, Denmark, and, most recently, France, have all taken steps to control BPA products within their borders, as have several local municipalities in the US, including the city of Chicago. The National Workgroup for Safe Markets called on Congress to ban BPA in food and drink products.

But the NAMPA issued a statement arguing that BPA-based epoxy coatings are safe, provide health benefits, and lack easy substitutes. The Grocery Manufacturers of America has also released a statement arguing for the safety and benefits of BPA.

Congress could move on a BPA bill relatively soon, according to a report on WebMD. According to the report, Senator Dianne Feinstein is sponsoring a ban on the substance, but would allow a one year grace period to allow manufacturers time to shift to alternative substitutes.

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