Decision To List BPA On Proposition 65 Contradicts Extensive Scientific Record

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May 07, 2015, 07:39 ET

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement can be attributed to Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D., of the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group of the American Chemistry Council. These comments address the decision by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment's (OEHHA) scientific panel, the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee (DART-IC), to list bisphenol A (BPA) on Proposition 65.

"We strongly disagree with the DART-IC decision to list BPA under Proposition 65 as a female reproductive toxicant. The decision is not supported by the extensive scientific record presented to the committee and is completely contrary to explicit input provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In April, FDA's acting chief scientist submitted a letter to the DART-IC stating that the results of FDA's own comprehensive research 'do not support BPA as a reproductive toxicant.'

"The letter further noted that 'FDA released an extensive, rigorous, and systematic four-year assessment of more than 300 scientific studies of BPA.' The findings of that assessment, released in late 2014, 'reaffirm FDA's determination that BPA is safe provided it is used in accordance with our regulations.' Regardless of the DART-IC decision, that conclusion on safety continues to be valid since Proposition 65 is in no way an evaluation of safety.

"In January of this year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) clearly and unequivocally stated that BPA is safe as used in food contact materials and other consumer products. Based on a comprehensive re-evaluation of BPA exposure and toxicity, EFSA's scientific experts concluded that 'BPA poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents) at current exposure levels.' More recently, similar organizations in Germany and New Zealand have joined others around the world and publicly declared that BPA is safe at current exposure levels."

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The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people's lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care®, common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues, and health and environmental research and product testing. The business of chemistry is an $812 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is the nation's largest exporter, accounting for twelve percent of all U.S. exports. Chemistry companies are among the largest investors in research and development. Safety and security have always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies to improve security and to defend against any threat to the nation's critical infrastructure.

SOURCE American Chemistry Council