Senate Passes Bill to Ban BPA from Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups
By a vote of 20 to 9, the Oregon Senate today passed a bill to protect Oregon’s children from exposure to bisphenol A (BPA). Senate Bill 695—the BPA-Free Baby Bill—prohibits the sale or manufacture of food and beverage containers containing toxic BPA intended for children under three, such as baby bottles and sippy cups. The bill also covers WIC-approved infant formula cans and sports water bottles, requires replacing BPA with less toxic chemicals and lays the groundwork for a BPA-free product standard.
Senate Passes Bill to Ban BPA from Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups
SALEM, Ore.—April 7, 2011—By a vote of 20 to 9, the Oregon Senate today passed a bill to protect Oregon’s children from exposure to bisphenol A (BPA). Senate Bill 695—the BPA-Free Baby Bill—prohibits the sale or manufacture of food and beverage containers containing toxic BPA intended for children under three, such as baby bottles and sippy cups. The bill also covers WIC-approved infant formula cans and sports water bottles, requires replacing BPA with less toxic chemicals and lays the groundwork for a BPA-free product standard.
The Food and Drug Administration acknowledged in January 2010 that there are health concerns about children’s exposure to BPA. In a statement released last year, the FDA stated that current human exposure to bisphenol A is of "some concern" to development of the prostate gland and brain and for behavioral effects in fetuses, infants and children. Despite these conclusions, the FDA is taking no definitive action to regulate BPA.
"More than 200 scientific studies have linked very low doses of bisphenol-A to serious health problems, and we know that BPA leaches out of the baby bottles and sippy cups from which our children drink every day. The Food and Drug Administration should have banned BPA in infant products years ago. Without strong federal leadership, Oregon had no choice but to act," said Senator Jackie Dingfelder, a chief co-sponsor of the bill.
Restrictions on BPA have already been put in place in nine states, including Washington, and several countries including Canada, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates. If passed in the House, Oregon’s bill would be the first in the nation to establish a BPA-free standard for canned food products.
“When major retailers like Walmart are asking for BPA-free products it creates a market opportunity for pro-active companies,” said Senator Brian Boquist, another bill co-sponsor. “By creating a third-party certification and labeling standard, similar to how Oregon supported labeling of organic food, Oregon companies can gain market advantage by becoming early adopters in an area of growing consumer demand.”
This legislation is broadly supported by a diverse coalition of organizations across the state including health professionals, labor unions, faith communities, business associations and environmental organizations, as well as public health, reproductive rights, and health-affected groups.
"Oregon Environmental Council and all of the BPA-free Baby Bill partner groups commend the Senate, in particular the bill sponsors, for their leadership in protecting Oregon’s children from toxic chemicals like BPA,” said Renee Hackenmiller-Paradis, program director for environmental health at the Oregon Environmental Council, the lead group working to pass the bill. “Babies and children are especially sensitive to toxic chemicals, and this legislation will protect them from a chemical known to have serious health risks.”
SB 695 now moves to the House for consideration.
For more information, visit the the BPA campaign page.
