New Worry over Plastic Packaging

September 17, 2008: 01:07 PM EST

A compound used in plastic packaging has been linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and liver enzyme abnormalities. UK scientists say their study found that 25 per cent of people with the highest levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) in their bodies were more than twice as likely to have heart disease and/or diabetes compared to the 25 per cent of the people with the lowest levels, says their report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers say BPA is present in more than 90 per cent of the US population and that more than 2 million tons of the compound are produced annually. The US National Toxicology Program expresses concerns over the potential for developmental toxicity for fetuses, infants, and children, based primarily on animal studies. EFSA is staying with its TDI of 0.05 milligram/kg body weight per day. The FDA says the chemical is safe in food packaging, although Wal Mart is among retailers that are thinking of removing bottles with the compound. Britain’s Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and the Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) say BPA has officially been approved for use and that bottled water and plastic soft drinks containers do not contain the chemical. Plastics Europe, which speaks for the industry, says there is no basis for health concerns while the American Metal Packaging Alliance (NAMPA) says the study provides no scientifically defensible evidence.

Iain A. Lang, et al, "FDA backs BPA as study links it to heart disease, diabetes", Journal of American Medical Association, September 17, 2008, © American Medical Association

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New Worry over Plastic Packaging

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