Chemistry council launches campaign to defend chemical; Endocrine Society raises doubts

The American Chemistry Council recently launched a new campaign to communicate what it says is the safety of a chemical found in many food containers, but at least one group representing medical professionals argues the science doesn't support that conclusion.

At issue is bisphenol-A, better known as BPA. The chemical made headlines in 2012 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned its use in the production of plastic baby bottles and cups because several studies linked it to developmental problems in lab animals.

However, BPA's effects on human development are not clear, so BPA is still used in a wide range of food and drink containers. Many public health advocates are urging consumers to avoid all products containing BPA as a precaution.

ACC, which represents companies that make BPA, points out that both FDA and the European Food Safety Authority looked at the research and concluded the chemical is safe as it is used in food containers and other products. The association recently purchased full-page ads in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and other major news outlets to highlight the agencies' findings.

"Supporting this clear conclusion is one of the largest studies ever conducted on BPA, which was published by FDA researchers early in 2014," ACC said in a statement. "One of the lead FDA researchers commented that the results of this comprehensive subchronic toxicity study ‘both support and extend the conclusion from FDA that BPA is safe as currently used.'" http://prn.to/1EQ4rm0

Other scientists are questioning that conclusion. Newsweek reached out to 20 leading researchers and found most of them believe BPA can be linked to a wide array of health problems. http://bit.ly/1aMFrAQ

Among the leading critics of BPA is the Endocrine Society, which has taken issue with FDA's conclusions. BPA is known to be an endocrine disruptor, so the organization notes its members have particular expertise about the chemical's possible health effects.

"While conclusive evidence is lacking, sound scientific studies indicate a strong possibility for adverse health effects," said Andrea Gore, editor-in-chief of the medical journal Endocrinology, speaking on behalf of the society. "It is the responsibility of the government to adopt measures that protect people from the risk of exposure to certain chemicals."

The Endocrine Society also published research in February finding endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA cost the European Union between 150 to 260 billion Euros annually in health problems. http://bit.ly/18Twsxb