Courtesy of Wall Street Journal

Bisphenol A, a chemical that shows up in some baby bottles, food can linings and hard plastic water bottles, just got a vote of confidence from the FDA.

“FDA has concluded that an adequate margin of safety exists for BPA at current levels of exposure from food contact uses,” said an FDA draft assessment released Friday.

Earlier this year, a draft report from another federal agency concluded that “[T]he possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed.”

That was part of what prompted Wal-Mart, among others, to say it would stop selling baby bottles that contain the chemical. And California is now considering a bill that would ban the substance in food and drink containers made for infants.

The FDA assessment was released in advance of a September meeting where a panel of experts will discuss the subject.

In his weekly message posted on the FDA’s Web site, FDA Commish Andrew von Eschenbach wrote that “science creates these products and science must inform us of their risks. With regard to BPA thus far, the science FDA has reviewed does not justify recommending that anyone discontinue using these products.”

But environmental groups were critical of FDA’s analysis, which they argued were based on studies funded by industry. “It’s ironic FDA would choose to ignore dozens of studies funded by (the National Institutes of Health) — this country’s best scientists — and instead rely on flawed studies from industry,” Pete Myers, chief scientist for Environmental Health Sciences, told the AP.

Bonnie - I don't buy this assessment. Not one bit.