Aversion to BPA products.

Canadian consumers have been avoiding plastic bottles and containers (particularly feeding bottles for babies) that contain the industrial chemical Bisphenol A (BPA). Retailers have pulled these products off the shelves after a number of negative reports over recent months and the Canadian government could soon respond with tighter regulation.

While these developments are taking place in Canada only and the products concerned are solely baby bottles and water bottles, the plastics industry, manufacturers, importers and retailers (including those from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland) are monitoring the situation closely to gauge the effect on the practical applications of BPA.

According to newspaper reports, a panel of Canadian scientists has endorsed official findings by Health Canada showing that BPA could disrupt the hormonal systems of living creatures. Although the quantity of BPA which would have to be ingested to be dangerous reportedly far exceeds the ambit of recent tests, there is the possibility of BPA being banned in certain products.

BPA is an industrial chemical used to make a hard plastic called polycarbonate. It's also used to produce epoxy resins. Polycarbonate is used in a number of household items that includes baby bottles, reusable water bottles, pitchers, tableware and storage containers.

Epoxy resins are used as a protective coating in metal-based food and drinks cans. Its application as the thin coating applied on the interior surface of the can helps prevent corrosion and contamination of the food or drink within.

Polycarbonates and resins made from BPA are used in a wide range of other products like medical devices, dental sealants, sporting and safety equipment, electronic products and automotive parts.

Testing to give rise to new standards.*

In April this year, the Canadian ministers of Health and of the Environment jointly announced that "Canada is the first country in the world to complete a risk assessment of Bisphenol A in consultation with industry and other stakeholders."

Health Canada's screening assessment of BPA primarily focused on its impact on newborns and infants up to 18 months of age, although the screening also considered similar health risks for Canadians of all ages.

While the government scientists have concluded that current BPA exposures are not generally hazardous, they are concerned that the margin of safety for babies up to 18 months old is not sufficiently large.

The screening assessment determined that the main source of exposure for newborns and infants is through the use of polycarbonate baby bottles, when they're exposed to high temperatures and the migration of BPA from cans into infant formula.

The assessment has concluded that while BPA exposure to newborns and infants is below levels that pose a risk, the gap between exposure and effect is not large enough. The Canadian government is therefore proposing a number of actions to reduce BPA exposure in infants and newborns:

• To ban polycarbonate baby bottles;
• To develop stringent migration targets for BPA in infant formula cans;
• To work with industry to develop alternative food packaging and develop a code of practice; and
• To list BPA as a "toxic" substance under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). This "toxic" designation is to give authority to the ministers of Health and the Environment to implement measures to manage the risks posed.

A 60-day public comment period began on 19 April, 2008 on whether to ban the import, sale and advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles which contain BPA.

Meanwhile, Environment Canada scientists have also found that, at low levels, BPA can harm fish and aquatic organisms over time. Studies have indicated that it can currently be found in wastewater and sludge treatment plants in Canada.

Environment Canada is expected to work with the Canadian Provinces and others to keep BPA out of the environment and take the necessary measures to ensure its safe use and disposal.

Canada's action (so far) contrasts from that of Europe and the US, which officially views the use of BPA as safe and has not given the chemical a "toxic" designation.

However, the New York Times reported that the US Department of Health and Human Services toxicology programme also endorsed the finding, with "some concern" about behavioural changes in humans who consume BPA.

While the Canadian government is on track to ban polycarbonate baby bottles, it's assuring the public that they can still use the products as well as the reusable water bottles and plastic tableware if they choose, and the government will be providing some advice on how to use them properly.

However, retailers have been scrambling to find alternatives to BPA products that they've pulled off store shelves. They're searching for replacements for plastic baby bottles, sip cups, pacifiers, water bottles and food containers. Manufacturers are also looking for alternative plastics.

"BPA-free" is fast becoming a growing market trend in Canada.

from Andrew Yui, Toronto Office

(*Image courtesy of Marja Flick-Buijs)