Letters of Support for the Ban Poisonous Additives Act
View our letters of support for the Ban Poisonous Additives Act that would remove bisphenol a (BPA) from food packaging and encourage manufacturers to replace this hazardous chemical with alternatives that are safer for workers and consumers.
The Ban Poisonous Additives (BPA) Act of 2014, which is being introduced by Sen. Edward Markey, D‐Mass., and Reps. Lois Capps, D-Calif. and Grace Meng, D-N.Y., will remove BPA from food packaging, label food packaging that still contains BPA while alternatives are developed, encourage manufacturers to replace this hazardous chemical with alternatives that are safer for workers and consumers, and require the FDA to review the safety of all food contact substances.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is the chemical building block for polycarbonate plastic and can be found in some plastic bottles and food storage containers marked with a No. 7. BPA is also used in epoxy resins that coat the lining of metal food and beverage cans. Globally, more than 10.3 billion pounds of BPA is used in products annually.
More than 300 animal and human studies have linked small amounts of BPA exposure to a staggering number of health problems, including prostate and breast cancer, asthma, obesity, behavioral changes and inattention, altered development of the brain and immune system, low birth weight and lowered sperm counts. Even minuscule amounts have been shown to cross the placenta and disrupt normal prenatal development.
It is time for Congress to take the necessary steps to protect our citizens, including the children, women and men who consume packaged food, and the men and women who work in factories where food containers are made and packed. The BPA Act provides Americans with this needed health protection.
Click the link below to view our letters of support as well as letters from the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health; the Connecticut Council on Occupational Safety and Health Inc.; the Massachusetts Council on Occupational Safety and Health; the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health; and Worksafe.