BPA is used mainly in polycarbonate baby bottles, infant sippy cups and the epoxy lining of food and drink cans.
The German agency has stated that although there are gaps in the knowledge of the health risks BPA holds, production of items with this chemical needs to be stopped. What is already known about the harms of BPA should be convincing enough to limit production of BPA products.
With determining environmental risks posed by chemicals and other products, companies are not legally bound to carry out its recommendations on BPA.
It is the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, the BrR, which is charged with assessing whether a food or product constitutes a risk to humans and what action should then be taken, drawing on exposure assessment and toxicological methods.
The UBA call for a precautionary approach on BPA follows similar actions taken in Denmark and France, enacting precautionary measures for certain products containing the chemical, while Canada has banned baby bottles containing BPA.
Research shows that risks include diabetes, heightened risks of heart attacks and changes in hormone levels in men.
And mounting consumer, political and even scientific anxiety over its continued use in food packaging has led to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EFSA to re-examine their positions that the substance poses no health threat at current exposure levels.
Last month, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced a delay in delivering its verdict on BPA, saying it needed more time to review the vast body of research on the chemical.
The food safety watchdog said it would now present its opinion to the European Commission (EC) in early July instead of at the end of May, as previously scheduled. Once that advice is delivered, it will be up to the EC to decide whether to implement a ban on BPA or not in Europe.
Read the full story at: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/Germany-agency-calls-for-limits-on-BPA-usage.
Source and thanks to www.foodproductiondaily.com.
