April Scott for Salem-News.com
(SALEM, Ore.) - On January 16th, 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration finally hopped ship in a last ditch effort to save what’s left of their plastic boat. It was hardly a rush to reckless abandonment in the wake of mounting toxic bisphenol glaciers shining brightly as beacons in the night.
Both the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health and the FDA announced they “have some concern about the potential effects of bisphenol A on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children."
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical that has been present in many hard plastic bottles and aluminum food and beverage cans since the 1960's (FDA). What they are not telling you is that BPA is also a synthetic estrogen and notable endocrine disrupter.
As the boiling pot of controversy has mounted, so have the growing cries of our scientific community outside their handful of economically influenced lackeys.
Experiments with mice show that exposure during pregnancy to very low doses of bisphenol A scrambles the chromosomes of their daughters' fertilized embryos, ie., the pregnant females' grandchildren.
Experiments with rats demonstrate that low level exposure to bisphenol A during fetal growth causes breast cancer in adults.
Thirty-eight of the world's leading scientific experts on bisphenol A have warned policy-makers of potential adverse health effects of exposure to the widespread molecule used to make plastics and food can lining.
Low level BPA exposure stimulates rapid reproduction of breast cancer cells.Watch it happen: youtube.com/watch?v=N3_cYZKksvI
Slowly, our FDA has been backed into a corner of admission and submission. The mountains of substantiated evidence of BPA’s adverse health affects can no longer be ignored behind self serving lobbyist dollars and political shanties.
A group of chemical manufacturers, toy makers and retailers sued the city of San Francisco after the city’s Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a 2006 ordinance prohibiting the sale, distribution and manufacturing of children’s products containing BPA, along with other dangerous chemicals.
Other plaintiffs were the American Chemistry Council, California Retailers Association, California Grocers Association and Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. Corporate dollars once again took precedence over public health.
Approximately 7-8 billion pounds of BPA are produced annually. BPA can be found in almost all Americans. FDA released estimates saying they suspect 100 percent of Americans are exposed due to vast use of BPA plastics in everything from coating for children's teeth to prevent cavities, metal food can liners, plastic food containers, baby bottles, water bottles, juice, milk and water containers, microwave “safe” ovenware and eating utensils and much, much more. Revenue from BPA based products is estimated to be over $700,000 per hour*. It’s your money and your life.
Note what FDA did not say. They did not make any statement to suggest any exercise of federal power over manufacturers or distributors by way of a ban. They simply made a cautionary announcement to inform the public of this “concern”.
Can we agree that it will take years, if not generations to clear the product base from the store shelves and warehouses? Note the lack of FDA effort to make an official stance where it counts. They’ve been aware of the scientific data for decades. They are giving manufacturers ample opportunity to move their toxic product, while they spend countless more years and public funds to research and attempt to invalidate what they already know to be true.
The poisoning of Americans has become evident and justified through free choice and free flow of the almighty dollar. Business has become blind to the needs of the consumer; we no longer have a face, nor their respect.
Your dollar is their power. Your knowledge is your defense. Every time you make a purchase you cast a vote.Think about it. Are you going to assist them in moving their toxic products during the government stall to meaningful legislation?
Cancer is a corporate by-product. I’m tired of hearing people say it. I can always predict by the look on their face… “Oh well, everything gives you cancer.” It’s the corporate cop-out. That’s what they want you to say.
Your purchases prove that they can sell you anything. They know you don’t care where your food comes from. They know that you don’t want to know. Just feed me. It’s the epoch of instant gratification.
Your purchases prove that they can sell you anything. They know you don’t care where your food comes from. They know that you don’t want to know. Just feed me. It’s the epoch of instant gratification.
For those of you who haven’t surrendered yourselves to such atrocities, there are some viable alternatives like:
- Get rid of all of your plastic containers, especially containers imprinted with the recycling number 7, as many of those contain BPA. You can put them to good use storing non-food items. Replace your plastic with clear glass. Made in the USA glass is safest due to lead, mercury and cadmium contaminates found in some foreign glass. There are several
BPA free options available in stores if you must harbor plastic. Look for the label “BPA Free”.
- Stop heating plastic in the microwave! I see this at work all day long. The BPA leaches into your food. Use glassware whenever possible.
- Stop eating out of cans, at least until manufacturers get the picture that they’re not allowed to poison their customers. You can help by contacting them and voicing your concerns about BPA in their products. Your favorite products have a phone number on the label. Call them. Tell them it’s only 2 cents more (we’ll pay four!) to manufacture non-BPA canned products according to Eden Foods who marketed the first canned foods without BPA. The exception to this is tomato sauce. Tomato based products emit the highest levels of BPA due to their acidic nature. Manufacturers have yet to utilize BPA-free packaging of canned tomato-based products. I purchase all of my tomato and marinara sauces in glass jars. Depending on the type, you can spice it up to create any of your favorite red sauce dishes.
- Love your kids. Pack their lunch. Remember, most school lunches come in cans.
At first, yes, there will be some resistance for you and for them, but you will quickly recognize behavioral and physical improvements in your children when you begin
to cleanse their diet of chemical toxins. It’s worth the time!
- Be sure your child’s plastic toys, especially infant toys say “BPA Free” on the label. Again, the FDA has some concerns about bisphenol A’s affects the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses,infants, and young children.
As recent as 2008 the FDA claimed BPA was safe, but gave consumers tips on how to reduce exposure. The FDA panel's unbiased opinions were called into question when reports surfaced in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the head of the panel took a $5 million donation from a manufacturer who maintains BPA is safe.
The FDA’s credibility has no validity, as they have seemingly accepted a myriad of corporate bribes by allowing food manufacturers and chemical companies to corner the market on the poisoning of America. It is a false sense of security to place trust in government regulation to protect your health. The FDA appears to serve the corporate dollar even as the Titanic is sinking. Their recent jump into the lifeboat of admission only reveals how dire the situation must be.
