A Wisconsin bill that would make it illegal to make or sell infant bottles or cups for children under 5 that contain bisphenol A, or BPA, was debated at a public hearing at the state Capitol Tuesday.

Many health and food officials turned out for the hearing Tuesday.

Two doctors testified that studies link BPA to a slew of developmental problems and diseases.

"(Studies have linked PBA to) prostate and breast cancer, obesity and diabetes, early puberty ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids, reduced fertility and miscarriage," said Dr. Gail Prins, a BPA expert at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Representatives of the food packaging industry opposed the bill, citing contradictory studies. They said they worry about bans on other products.

"If you look at the regulatory science around this issue, it's come back consistently that this particular chemical is safe in food contact," said John Rost, of the North American Metal Packaging Association.

The BPA issue is tough for businesses and consumers alike, WISC-TV found. For people trying to avoid unhealthy food and food additives, this is a tough nut to crack, but there are some things consumers can do as the industry waits for official direction from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Even at stores that cater to the health-conscious consumer, filling the shelves these days is challenging, and so is shopping.

Thanks to a new debate over an old plastic chemical additive, consumers said deciding what's good for them is harder than ever.

For decades, BPA has been used to package all kinds of water and food, and it is the industry standard when it comes to making the plastic liners inside lots of canned goods aimed at keeping them fresh.

Its benefits, though, are being questioned as more scientists say BPA can leach out at unsafe levels -- whether the product is "organic" or not. 

>>> Read the Full Article

For more information on this topic or related issues you can search the thousands of archived articles on the OCA website using keywords: