BPA and the FDA

Audio

01/22/2010

Jan. 22, 2010

BPA and the FDA

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Last Friday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it was seeking further information about the potential health effects of bisphenol-A, a common plasticizer. Although the agency declared the chemical commonly known as BPA to be safe in 2008, the agency now says that it has "some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children."

The chemical is widely spread across the marketplace. Although many manufacturers of sports water bottles and baby bottles now have switched to BPA-free products, the chemical can be found in cups, can liners, some sippy cups and more. (Items containing BPA often have a number 7 recycling code stamped on the bottom.) We'll talk about the announcement and what is known about BPA.

Produced by Shelley DuBois

Guests

Gardiner Harris
Science Correspondent

The New York Times

Washington, DC

Discussion

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