Proposed Legislation to Require Labeling on Food Packaging Containing BPA
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has introduced legislation (S. 1124) that would
require warning labels on all food packaging made with bisphenol A (BPA).
Titled the “BPA in Food Packaging Right to Know Act,” the bill would require
such packaging to bear labels stating, “This food packaging contains BPA, an
endocrine-disrupting chemical,” in addition to directing the Department of
Health and Human Services to conduct a safety assessment of food containers
with BPA.
Citing more than 200 scientific studies that have purportedly linked BPA exposure to cancer, reproductive disorders, cardiac disease, diabetes, early puberty, and other problems, Feinstein said, “evidence continues to mount that BPA exposure is a risk to human health, especially for children . . . [and] it is essential that consumers know what chemicals are in the products they purchase. Our children should not be used as guinea pigs by chemical companies when their parents are left in the dark about these harmful products.”
Feinstein has actively campaigned to curb BPA use and proposed a federal ban on BPA in children’s products in 2011. Her current bill is co sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Angus King (I-Maine). See Sen. Dianne Feinstein News Release, June 10, 2013.
