Canada recently announced plans to immediately proceed with drafting regulations to prohibit the importation, sale, and advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles containing bisphenol A (BPA). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintains in a draft report that products containing the chemical are safe at current levels of exposure. But an FDA Science Board subcommittee that peer-reviewed this draft report said last week said that the FDA assessment had "important limitations." The report concluded that "the Margins of Safety defined by FDA as 'adequate' are, in fact, inadequate."

BPA is commonly found in polycarbonate baby bottles and sport bottles as well as in the lining of canned foods, including liquid infant formula. Studies suggest that the chemical can mimic estrogen and may be linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, reproductive abnormalities, and other health problems in children and adults. Canada announced a proposal last April to ban some items containing BPA and to take action to keep BPA out of the environment. Those regulations are expected to take effect in 2009.

In the U.S., the FDA stated in a draft report in August that an "adequate margin of safety exists for BPA at current levels of exposure from food contact uses for infants and adults." The agency says it looks forward to reviewing the new subcommittee report and will respond before the next scheduled meeting of the Science Board in February 2009. Consumers Union testified at an FDA hearing in September that the agency should use its full authority to reduce consumers exposure to BPA by eliminating the chemical from any packaging that comes in contact with food or beverages.