British Plastics Federation defends use of BPA in baby bottles

The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is going on the offensive against a campaign in the UK to ban the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles.

An organization called Breast Cancer UK has been lobbying for the restriction of BPA – a synthetic chemical compound used in a wide range of consumer products – in all plastic baby bottles. 

“The campaign by Breast Cancer UK is misleading and based upon a selective use of evidence,” said Philip Law, BPF public and industrial affairs director. “For over 50 years, consumer products produced using BPA have been safely used and make a significant contribution to everyday life.”

Breast Cancer UK’s campaign is centred on a survey of 2,101 adults that revealed that 61 per cent of people in the UK believe that the government should act to end the use of BPA in baby bottles.

“The survey is not a good basis for assessing public feeling on BPA as it features leading questions and a preamble that presupposes risks associated with BPA,” the BPF said in a statement. 

In response to the Breast Cancer UK campaign, the UK Food Standards Agency has also entered the fray in defence of BPA. “The Food Standards Agency, working closely with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the European Commission have looked into the potential risks from BPA and found that exposure of UK consumers to BPA from all sources, including food contact materials, was well below levels considered harmful,” the agency said.

The British controversy around BPA mirrors recent events in Canada. In June of 2009, Health Canada announced plans to prohibit the advertisement, sale and importation in Canada of polycarbonate plastic baby bottles that contain BPA.

To read the BPF’s position statement on BPA, click on this link.