Published on July 1, 2010 at 12:59 AM
By Dr Ananya Mandal, MD
Baby bottles that contain the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) will be phased out in Australia following toxicity concerns.
Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler has announced that following public concern and a safety review ordered by US health regulators, the phase out will begin from today. He also revealed that according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand intake levels are very low and do not pose a risk to babies' health.
However the public concerns have necessitated this action. He said that the US Food and Drug Administration were carrying out further research into the risks for babies and infants associated with BPA. After a lawsuit filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the FDA has reviewed its earlier statement on BPA and declared that there were “some concerns” regarding the effect of the chemical on babies and planned to start more studies over the next two years.
BPA in baby bottles has been associated with damage to the babies’ hormonal functions and increase the risk of breast cancer. Scientists say BPA damages the endocrine system probably because it has a similar structure as human estrogen – the major female hormone. BPA leaches into the contents of the bottle when heated and can also be found in plastic containers and other bottles. It has already been banned in France and Canada.
For now major retail chains like Woolworths, BigW, Aldi and Wesfarmers, the owner of Coles, Kmart and Target, have agreed to phase out baby bottles containing BPA.