Letter: Plastic containers with BPA are safe to use

Fri, May 16 2008

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To the editor:

Your article, "Pass the milk, hold the chemicals; Amid safety concerns, parents seek alternatives to traditional baby bottles and sippy cups" (April 18) and several reports released last week may cause confusion and unnecessary alarm about Bisphenol-A (BPA). It's important for your readers to know that the National Toxicology Program (NTP) report indicated that the effects of BPA produced negligible risk, the government's lowest possible risk ranking. In fact, the U.S. government has studied the health effects of BPA exposure for more than 40 years, and the overwhelming body of scientific evidence continues to prove that actual exposure as found in some consumer food and beverage containers has no adverse effect on humans of all ages.

The FDA, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Authority and the World Health Organization (WHO) have all evaluated and approved the safety of minimal amounts of BPA used in plastic containers. Consumers can rest assured and continue to safely enjoy foods and beverages in the many forms of packaging provided without changing their purchasing or eating patterns.

The food and beverage industry continues to monitor research and regulatory developments related to food packaging to ensure consumer confidence in our products. We remain dedicated to providing high quality and safe products to our consumers across America and will continue to evaluate the safety of BPA on an ongoing basis.

ROBERT E. BRACKETT, senior vice president and chief science & regulatory affairs officer

Grocery Manufacturers Association