Scientists call for more sensitive BPA testing

By staff reporter

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Infant Bpa

A new study calls for more sensitive analytical methods to better incorporate differences in susceptibility between children and adults when determining exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), the chemical found in food packaging.

The scientists involved, according to the findings published in Environmental Health Perspectives,​ concluded that the amount of BPA circulating in the blood of babies is more than 11 times higher than the amount in adult blood.

The authors evaluated animal and available human studies to determine how long the chemical might stay in a baby's system, and they found that the key liver enzyme that is needed to eliminate the chemical from the blood and body is lower at birth than it is in an older person.

BPA is used in certain packaging materials such as polycarbonates for baby food bottles. It is also used in epoxy resins for internal protective linings for canned food, infant formula and metal lids.

A recent study by a team of UK researchers found that higher concentrations of the chemical in urine were linked with heart disease, type 2 diabetes and liver enzyme abnormalities, and the US National Toxicology Programme (NTP) said that effects on reproductive development from BPA in packaging cannot be ruled out.

There is growing interest in the exposure of BPA to young children via food stored in BPA-containing packaging, as it is not clear the exposure levels in developing foetuses and newborns.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in a letter to independent scientific reviewers last month, said that it is re-evaluating available data, and planning to source additional information so as to strengthen the exposure estimates from all dietary sources of BPA, particularly those relevant to infants and children.

The letter was the first response to criticism of the FDA by its own advisory board which maintained that the food safety regulator ignored evidence suggesting BPA in baby bottles and formula cans could be damaging to children.

Source: Environmental Health Perspectives​Published online ahead of print doi: 0.1289/ehp.0800073Title: Predicting plasma concentrations of Bisphenol A in young children (< two years) following typical feeding schedules using a physiologically-based toxicokinetic model​Authors: Edginton. N, Ritter. L

Related topics Processing & Packaging

Related news

Show more