American Chemistry Council: Health Canada Study On BPA And Pregnancy: BPA Exposures Very Low, Well-Within Established Safe Levels

Canadian Government Agency Reconfirms BPA Safe for Use in Food Packaging Materials, including for Infants and Young Children

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2014 /CNW/ - The American Chemistry Council (ACC) offers the following comments regarding the study published today by Health Canada, the first results from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study. The study, titled "Phthalate and bisphenol A exposure among pregnant women in Canada — Results from the MIREC study," was published in the July issue of the scientific journal Environment International. Quotes from the following may be attributed to Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D. of ACC's Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group.

"With important new research results in hand, Health Canada once again reaffirmed its position on the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) in its press release today, stating 'Based on the overall weight of evidence, Health Canada continues to conclude that dietary exposure to BPA through food packaging is not expected to pose a health risk to the general population, including newborns and young children.'

"The biomonitoring study measured exposure of a large group of pregnant Canadian women to BPA. While acknowledging that exposure to BPA is expected, the Health Canada study found BPA at lower average levels and in a lower percentage of women, compared to the overall Canadian population. These results indicate that typical exposure to BPA for pregnant women is more than a thousand times lower than the safe intake level established by Health Canada.

"The results are consistent with similar studies conducted in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Health Canada's current perspective on BPA is very consistent with the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Earlier this year, FDA scientists published the results of a large-scale government-funded study demonstrating that low-dose exposure to BPA did not result in the development of adverse health effects. These most recent scientific results provide strong additional support for FDA's recent response to the question: 'Is BPA safe?' FDA answered with one word: 'Yes.'"

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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 a $770 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is one of the nation's largest exporters, 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

Kathryn St. John [phone], [email protected]

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