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China, Malaysia Become Latest Nations to Ban BPA

 China and Malaysia have added to the list of countries setting bans on the estrogen-mimicking chemical bisphenol A. Read More

China and Malaysia have added to the list of countries setting bans on the estrogen-mimicking chemical bisphenol A (BPA).

BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that has been linked in lab tests to a wide range of developmental issues, reproductive harm, diabetes, cancer and other ailments.

Growing concern of its effects on people, especially children, infants and fetuses, has led to a steady stream of companies eliminating it from packaging, pushing suppliers to find replacement chemicals or refusing to carry some products that are made with it.

While several states and local governments in the U.S. have banned BPA from being used in special cases, mainly in products for young children or babies, there have been no votes in Congress over BPA. 

Other countries like Canada and all of the European Union have banned BPA in some uses, and they are now joined by China and Malaysia.

China’s Ministry of Health announced it plans to ban any BPA-containing baby bottles or other food and drink items for children, but has no set start date, reported Shanghai Daily.

Malaysia’s ban on baby bottles made with BPA starts next March. The ban was created, the country’s health minister said, because there is no scientific proof that such bottles are safe for use by infants, the Malaysian National News Agency reported.

Bottle – CC license by nerissa’s ring (Flickr)

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