Federal Legislation Seeks to Prohibit BPA in Food Containers

Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) have introduced legislation that would ban the synthetic compound bisphenol A (BPA) from food and beverage containers, citing research reportedly linking BPA to a variety of health problems. In addition, the companion bills would authorize the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant one-year waivers from the provisions so long as the manufacturers begin labeling products that contain BPA. “The Ban Poisonous Additives Act will help ensure that our factories and our entire food supply are free from this damaging chemical,” Markey said. “It’s time to ban BPA and move to safer alternatives.” See Law360, July 9, 2014.

Issue 529