May 20, 2010 (Washington Post)

The food industry and major business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have voiced concern over a proposed amendment to a long-pending food safety bill that would ban bisphenol A (BPA) from food and beverage containers.

Noting that a ban would create significant problems for many food manufacturers who do not have BPA-free alternative packaging, the Grocery Manufacturers Association stated it "will not support food safety legislation that bans or phases out BPA from any food and beverage container."

The food safety bill, designed to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vast new regulatory authority over food production and place greater responsibility on manufacturers and farmers to produce food free from contamination, has broad bipartisan support and backing from the White House.

Both the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency are evaluating the potential health consequences of BPA and studying ways to reduce exposure to BPA in food packaging.

Full article.