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FDA Commits to March 31 Decision on BPA Ban

The Natural Resources Defense Council announced that the Food and Drug Administration has committed to decide by March 31, 2012 whether the chemical Bisphenol A, or BPA, which NRDC claims causes brain damage in developing babies, infants and young children, should be banned from use in packaging for food and drinks. The agency agreed to address the use of BPA as part of a settlement reached on December 7, 2011 with NRDC.

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NRDC states that BPA can be found in the linings of beer or soda cans, vegetable or soup cans and liquid infant formula containers as well as consumer products made from polycarbonate plastics, including reusable water bottles. According to NRDC, consumer demand has already driven baby bottles and sippy cups containing the hormone-disrupting chemical from store shelves, but the exposure from food packaging remains.