Canada declares BPA unsafe, bans chemical in baby bottles

Canada will become the first country in the world to declare Bisphenol A hazardous to human health. The country will make the announcement Oct. 18 and will instruct baby bottle manufacturers they can no longer include the chemical in baby bottles, according to a story on canada.com.

BPA was first designed as a synthetic sex hormone but later found its way into manufacturing uses, including baby bottles, hard plastic water bottles and the lining of food cans.

Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, called the declaration a “good start.” But, Smith pointed to recent studies that have linked BPA exposure in adults to health problems including heart disease and diabetes. Smith said it ultimately isn’t enough to only protect babies from the effects of BPA.

“There's new science coming out on a weekly basis pointing to this chemical being a health concern for adults. Baby bottles are a good start, but the government now needs to take a look at getting this chemical out of the lining in cans.”

Canada’s declaration stands in contrast to the U.S. government’s stand on the issue.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is under fire after determining last month in a draft report that BPA was safe for food storage. On Thursday, the Washington Post published an editorial arguing the FDA's final recommendation, expected this month, could be "seen as less than fully independent."

The influential newspaper cited the recent donation of $5 million to the University of Michigan's Risk Science Center from Charles Gelman, the retired head of a medical device manufacturing company and outspoken proponent of bisphenol A.

The acting director of the university centre is Martin Philbert, a toxicologist who is also head of the FDA advisory panel poised to deliver its risk assessment of BPA.

Philbert did not disclose the gift to the agency as part of the disclosure process when he was appointed to the panel; he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he did not need to, since he does not stand to gain from it. The FDA is looking into a possible conflict of interest.