US: FDA denies NRDC's petition to ban BPA in food packaging

摘要

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shot down a petition by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) to ban bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging, insisting that the supporting science in the petition was not enough to persuade the agency to act. The food and packaging industries, as well as consumer advocates, have been eagerly anticipating FDA's response on the matter, since a court sided with the environmental group and ordered FDA to make a decision on the group's petition by 31 March. In June 2010, NRDC sued FDA for its failure to act on the environmental group's 2008 petition asking FDA to ban BPA in food packaging, food containers and other materials likely to come into contact with food. Citing scientific evidence about the dangers of using BPA in food packaging, the group requested that FDA revoke all regulations permitting its use as a food additive.