Connecticut AG Steps Up Fight Against BPA

by: JayinPortland

Mon Jun 15, 2009 at 16:25:07 PM PDT

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced today that he has asked several companies -- packaging, beverage and food manufacturers -- to provide details about an apparent campaign to use fear tactics, political manipulation and misleading marketing to fight regulation of bisphenol A (BPA).

Blumenthal has long been an advocate against the dangerous endocrine disruptor bisphenol A in his state, and other CT legislators and public health advocates have also signed onto this effort.  They are requesting information from the industry regarding the recent North American Metal Packaging Alliance public relations strategy meeting which I wrote about here.

Published reports indicate that, at a recent meeting, an industry representative described the "holy grail" spokesperson for BPA as a "pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA." Blumenthal said such tactics, if proven true, would be astonishing and appalling in light of mounting scientific evidence about the dangers of BPA, especially to children. [...]

"We are demanding details about industry giants plotting to use deceptive, and possibly illegal, tactics to blur the truth about BPA dangers. This misinformation campaign could menace public health by confusing consumers and convincing them to ignore mounting scientific evidence that BPA, even in minute doses, endangers children and pregnant women."

Just last week, new studies were released linking BPA exposure to heart disease in women and fertility defects.  Attorney General Blumenthal now joins the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) in seeking information on the industry's fear tactics.

We'll leave the last word for now to Sarah Uhl, Coordinator of the Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Connecticut -

"If the canning industry spent less time trying to dupe pregnant women and more time switching to alternatives, we would have more safe products on store shelves right now."

Congress Waking Up On BPA?

by: JayinPortland

Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 08:00:00 AM PDT

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg relating to the possible dangers of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in consumer products and food product containers, particularly in infant formula containers and other items used by infants and children.  Chairmen Waxman and Stupak asked Commissioner Hamburg to reconsider the FDA's conclusion under the Bush Administration that BPA is safe at current estimated exposure levels.

"It is critical that we know for certain whether BPA is safe to use in consumer products and food product containers," said Chairman Waxman.  "We need to make sure that FDA thoroughly and fairly reviews the best science on BPA so that the public - and especially infants and children - are protected."

Much new information has come out about BPA since FDA's decision last year, and none of it has been kind to the chemical and plastics industry.  Nor, for that matter, has it been kind to FDA.  Let's hope the new administration straightens things out on this.

Rep. Stupak also expressed concern about the Bush Administration FDA's interactions with industry during the approval process and beyond, while both Reps. Waxman and Stupak sent a document request to the North American Metal Packaging Alliance regarding the fear and smear tactics they are reported to be planning to use in their upcoming PR counterattack.

Here are the letters [pdf] sent to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, and to the world's leading BPA cheerleader, NAMPA Chairman Dr. John Rost.

Food Safety Bill Update

by: Jill Richardson

Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 10:52:19 AM PDT

The powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee is busy preparing for a legislative trifecta.  On the docket for the coming months are a mega climate change cap and trade bill, health care reform, and food safety reform.  The tentative schedule set by Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) calls for subcommittee and full committee consideration of climate change in May and health care reform in June.  A half-finished working draft of the cap and trade bill has been in circulation for several weeks.  No health care bill has been laid on the table as yet.

Even that much would normally seem overly ambitious.  But interspersed between those two mammoth efforts, the Chair also intends to introduce his food safety bill in May, hold hearings, and then in June schedule mark-ups in subcommittee followed by full committee.  His intent would be to have the bill out of committee and ready for floor action by the July 4 recess.

As we have previously reported, the bulk of the Chairman's mark will be based primarily on the food sections of H.R. 759, the food and drug safety bill introduced by Representatives Dingell (D-MI), Stupak (D-MI), and Pallone (D-NJ).

Separately, the House Agriculture Committee intends to begin a series of food safety hearings, with a building expectation that individual committee members or perhaps the committee as a whole may want to weigh in on food safety legislation in some fashion before the Energy and Commerce bill reaches the floor of the House.  Agriculture Committee member Jim Costa (D-CA), along with seven of his committee colleagues, has introduced the so-called SAFE Feast Act, HR 1332.

The Energy and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the Food and Drug Administration, whereas the Agriculture Committee has jurisdiction over USDA.  Both agencies control different parts of the food safety regulatory regime.

They also note that the Senate is going with a slower, wait-and-see approach and their actions will likely depend on what the House does first.

Today's House Salmonella Hearing

by: Jill Richardson

Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 17:08:43 PM PDT

Opening statements, written testimony, and documents for the hearing can be found here.

Tweeting the Peanut Butter Hearings

by: Jill Richardson

Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 11:10:27 AM PST