Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Dr. Kim Mulvihill reportingFor the first time, a government is moving to ban all plastic baby bottles made with a particular chemical.
It is bisphenol A (BPA. It's used in all kinds of products including food containers, safety helmets, cars and even medical devices.
Now, the Canadian government decided they'd rather be safe than sorry.
Canada's action revolves around newborns and infants and baby bottles made with BPA.
Tony Clement of the Canadian Minister of Health says, "Although our science tells us that exposure levels to newborns and infants are below the levels that cause effects, we believe that the current safety margin needs to be higher. We have concluded that it is better to be safe than sorry."
It's not just polycarbonate baby bottles, bisphenol A is also found in the lining of metal cans of infant formula. The Canadian government wants to change that as well.
The proposed ban would not include popular reusable water bottles, such as those made by Nalgene.
Even so, both Nalgene and Wal-mart will soon offer BPA free products. That does not sit well with the American Chemical Council.
The council says BPA is safe, and it is downplaying Canada's proposed ban in part, by quoting the health minister himself. Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council says, "The Canadian population is only exposed to very low levels of bisphenol A levels that pose a negligible risk to human health."
What the minister says is true for most Canadians, but it's a different story of children. Clement says, "This is not the case for newborns and infants. We have concluded that early development is sensitive to the effects of bisphenol A.
For concerned parents, the environmental working group has some tips. It says when it comes to baby bottles, use glass and avoid clear, hard plastic bottles marked with a "7" or "pc." And when it comes to infant formula, choose powdered. It says, Nestlé, Enfamil and Similac are the best choices.
This proposal now goes to the public for a 60-day comment period. Minister Clement says unless any new and relevant scientific evidence emerges, this ban will go into effect.
For more information on the health concerns of these plastics, click on the related links.
E-mail: drkim@ksl.com
