LOS ANGELES – A legislation has been introduced at the U.S. Congress to ban the use of Bisphenol -A (BPA) in food containers and require a warning label on any food container containing BPA during the phase out.
U.S. Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) joined Congresswomen Grace Meng (D-NY) and Lois Capps (D-CA) Wednesday in introducing the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2016, Lieu’s office announced.
The legislation would also prohibit replacing BPA with another carcinogenic, toxic or endocrine disrupting chemical such as Bisphenol -F (BPF) or Bisphenol -S (BPS).
Last year, Mr. Lieu received a letter from students at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, CA to take action on the BPA issue. Wednesday’s legislation is inspired by those young voices calling for change in their school and community, according to Lieu’s office.
“Despite strong scientific evidence that BPA, BPF and BPS have a harmful effect on the health of women, infants and children, it continues to be used in food containers and cans,” said Lieu in a statement.
“The Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2015 will take BPA out of our children’s food containers and cans and ensure that it is not replaced with equally dangerous BPF or BPS,” said Lieu.
“I would like to thank Representatives Meng and Capps for their leadership and the students of Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach for bringing concerns about Bisphenols to our attention.”
Scientific studies show that BPA, the chemical used in polycarbonate plastic for more than 50 years, can disrupt estrogen production, cause cancer and may be linked to reproductive development effects.
California banned the use of BPA in food containers designed for infants and toddlers in 2011 and declared BPA to be a reproductive health hazard in 2013.
The Federal government joined California and phased out BPA, but allowed manufacturers to replace BPA with similar endocrine disruptors such as BPS.
Reports said 75% of cans in the United States are lined with BPA.