A ban to remove bisphenol A, or BPA, from cans and other packaging was rejected by the FDA because not enough data was provided to support the ban. BPA has been in use since the 1960s and it extends the shelf life of canned foods and beverages. Whereas companies like Campbell Soup Co. have been working on phasing out the use of the chemical, companies like Coca-Cola Co. say that it is safe and do not plan on removing it. It is argued that BPA may affect the brain and prostate gland in fetuses and young children.
BPA is a million-dollar business and a ban would hurt profits at large can-makers and the biggest producer of the chemical, Saudi Basic Industries Corp. Some believe that the FDA is no longer protecting the public by allowing this chemical to remain while others such as the chairman of the North American Metal Packaging Alliance praise the decision.
Although no one wants to have chemicals in their cans, the fact that there is large amounts of money involved means that no will would dare touch their industry. The FDA should research the different chemicals found in food but unless anything is immediately life-threatening they will more likely just let it continue to exist. For as much as the FDA exists for regulating, it is still a business and will support other business when it comes to profit-maximization.
Read the full article at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-30/u-s-denies-request-to-ban-chemical-in-food-and-drink-packaging.html
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