BPA banned from baby bottles, sippy cups

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced in the Federal Register that it has banned bisphenol A in baby bottles and sippy cups, following a request to revise the rule made by the American Chemistry Council in October 2011.

"Although governments around the world continue to support the safety of BPA in food contact materials, confusion about whether BPA is used in baby bottles and sippy cups had become an unnecessary distraction to consumers, legislators and state regulators," stated Steven Hentges, of the polycarbonate/BPA Global Group of ACC. "FDA action on this request now provides certainty that BPA is not used to make the baby bottles and sippy cups on store shelves, either today or in the future."

BPA is one of the most thoroughly tested chemicals in commerce today. The consensus of government agencies across the world is that BPA is safe for use in food contact materials, including those intended for infants and toddlers. State legislative and regulatory actions across the country had contributed to confusion about whether baby bottles and sippy cups sold in the United States contain BPA. In fact, manufacturers of baby bottles and sippy cups announced several years ago that due to consumer preference, they had stopped using BPA in these products.

BPA is used to make polycarbonate polymers and epoxy resins, along with other materials used to make plastics. The FDA had questioned the safety of BPA in products for children in a report published in 2010.