Despite safety evidence, the state has added BPA to its list of cancer-linked chemicals under ‘Proposition 65’
The US state of California has added bisphenol A (BPA) to its Proposition 65 list of chemicals linked to health concerns, despite opposition from the chemical industry. Products containing any of the ~800 chemicals on the list require warning labels in that state.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority have both determined that BPA is safe at current levels in foods, as well as for approved uses in food containers and packaging. The FDA also maintains that current research does not support BPA as a reproductive toxicant.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has criticised the Proposition 65 list as ‘inherently flawed’, because it only considers chemical hazards. The agency points out that sound chemical management policy is based on risk, which takes into account both hazard and typical human exposures.
‘Proposition 65 ultimately does not provide California citizens with useful information to allow well-informed decisions about the products they buy and use,’ an ACC representative tells Chemistry World.
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