Human Exposure

Human Exposure to Bisphenol A

Resolution Submitted to the
American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences

Whereas, bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in plastic bottles and the lining of metal food cans.

Whereas, BPA has been associated with health risks, including reproductive system abnormalities, prostate cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and child asthma.

Whereas, thousands of products containing BPA are dumped into landfills each year and may potentially contaminate groundwater.

Whereas, an alternative to BPA exists. 

Whereas, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other U.S. health agencies have pledged $30 million toward research to clarify BPA’s effects on the environment, brain development, reproduction, and potential carcinogenicity.

Be it resolved that AAFCS support local, statewide, and national educational programs and policies: 1) that are designed to help individuals and families avoid exposure to BPA and 2) that encourage the banning of BPA in food packing and other consumer products.

Background Information
AAFCS founder Ellen Swallow Richards paved the way for food and consumer safety through research and educational efforts. The safety of BPA in food packing and other consumer products is uncertain.

In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that BPA was found in the urine of 93 percent of the 2,517 people sampled in the 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; the data is considered representative of exposures in the United States.

The Food and Drug Administration has recommended the public take steps to reduce exposure to BPA.

Impact Statement
AAFCS members have expertise in food safety and consumer protection matters. They have the capacity to bring potential safety hazards to the attention of communities, and to rally a grassroots effort to prevent unsafe goods from being consumed by individuals and families.

The existing technology and communication systems allow dissemination of this resolution and other resources related to this issue to AAFCS members and affiliated organizations at little to no financial cost.

Consumers look to family and consumer sciences professionals to lead the way in food safety and care for the home. 

Suggested Implementation Strategies

  • Use this resolution and rationale to build partnerships, such as with the American Dietetics Association and media so research-based information will be shared with the masses.
  • Provide technical advice and assistance concerning BPA in food packaging in response to a written request by a governmental body or committee. 
  • Encourage individual members to contact food and beverage companies to advocate the removal of BPA from food packaging, such as canned foods and canning lids.
  • Engage in public education discouraging the importation and production of unsafe products in the United States. 
  • Create a repository of educational resources and develop a guide of ideas to help families prevent BPA in their diet. 
  • Encourage responsible decision making and public participation on issues surrounding BPA during the FDA’s public comment period(s) at regulations.gov. 

Selected References
Bennett, D. (2009, February 1). Is bisphenol A to blame for rise in male anomalies? Urology Times, 37(2), 21-23. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, Executive Summary. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/executive_summary.html#

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, National Toxicology Program. (2008). Bisphenol A Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/docs/bpa-factsheet.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Update on Bisphenol A for Use in Food Contact Applications: January 2010. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm197739.htm

Submitted by the Alabama Association of Family & Consumer Sciences