German Toxicologists Conclude BPA Is Safe

Exposure to the estrogenic chemical bisphenol A (BPA), found in polycarbonate plastic containers and the linings of food and beverage cans, “represents no noteworthy risk to the health of the human population, including newborns and babies,” an advisory committee of the German Society of Toxicology has concluded. The committee of independent toxicologists comprehensively reviewed the scientific research on BPA and found that the current tolerable daily intake value of 0.05 mg/kg body weight/day, set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), “is adequately justified.” The committee’s findings, which are published in the journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology (DOI: 10.3109/10408444.2011.558487), add to the growing body of evidence that suggests current exposure to BPA from food and beverages is safe. According to the analysis, many positive results for health effects have not been confirmed in subsequent studies, rodent data are appropriate for evaluating human risk, and the half-life of BPA in human adults is less than two hours. In the U.S., FDA is currently studying the health impacts of BPA from food packaging and ways to reduce exposure to the chemical.