FDA Criticized for Stance on BPA

In recent months, concerns over the safety of bisphenol-A (BPA) have been heavily publicized. The potential hazards have prompted many retailers to stop selling consumer products containing the substance, and some countries have implemented bans on BPA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently tempered some of the alarm by releasing a report that appeared to downplay the risks associated with BPA. According to a statement released by the agency, it was determined that BPA exposure levels “do not pose an immediate health risk to the general population, including infants and babies.” However, the FDA’s assessment of BPA’s threat to consumers has been under attack.

It turns out that the FDA may have based its decision on research commissioned by the plastics industry. In fact, even the Science Board Subcommittee of the FDA criticized the agency’s initial stance on BPA in a scathing seventeen page report. Although the FDA has tried to brush off the negative commentary, the agency’s credibility appears to have taken another hit.

The FDA has a recent track record of siding with the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Rather than fulfilling its mandate to protect consumers from injury, the agency is instead safeguarding the interests of large and wealthy corporations. The rights of Michigan citizens and of the residents of other states are being severely curtailed by FDA preemption. In a very real way, your health and safety are being jeopardized by the FDA’s protection of these powerful lobbies.

Write your Senators and Representative – tell them you want the FDA to protect you instead of enormous corporations. Remember to vote, and put the candidates who value individual rights into office. And if you or anyone you know has been injured by an unsafe product, contact us to see if we can help.