In the past few days, bills were introduced in both houses of Congress to ban bisphenol A in all food and beverage containers in the U.S.

The so-called Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2009 is sponsored Rep. Edward Market, D-Mass. in the House, and by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. in the Senate. In the House it is H.R. 1523. In the Senate it is S.593

The proposed legislation would ban the sale of reusable beverage containers like baby bottles and thermoses that contain BPA and prohibit other food and beverage containers, including canned food and formula, containing the chemical from entering the market.

The bill, which would take effect 180 days after it is enacted, allows manufacturers who can show that a particular container cannot be made without BPA to obtain a renewable one year waiver to the ban. During that time, the company must label the product as containing BPA and submit a plan for removing the chemical in the future.

The bill also requires the secretary of HHS to conduct a periodic review of the list of substances that have been deemed safe for food and beverage containers, to determine whether new scientific research shows that the substances pose health risks. This review must take place “not less than once every 5 years,” under the bill.

MassTortDefense has posted about BPA issues before. With regard to BPA generally, based on all available evidence, the consensus of regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan is that the current levels of exposure to BPA through food packaging do not pose an immediate health risk to the general population, including infants and young children.

Also in the press, six manufacturers — Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflo — announced that they would ban BPA in baby bottles they sell in the U.S. And Sunoco indicated that it had stopped selling BPA to anyone who would not promise to prohibit its use in products intended for children ages three and under.

Many of these companies are defendants in the ongoing BPA litigation, and their voluntary actions reflect the legal risks far more than the science. The companies noted this decision may address growing public concern and confusion regarding products made with polycarbonate plastic, but was not because these FDA-regulated products are not safe.

Any wide-spread ban of this product – or litigation accomplishing the same result — may risk the public safety more than enhance it. Epoxy resins derived from bisphenol A are used to manufacture protective polymer coatings for the inner surface of metal food and beverage containers. This critical technology protects the contents of these containers from aggressive food products, thereby assuring a safe, wholesome, and nutritious food supply. Compared to other coating technologies, coatings derived from epoxy resins provide superior adhesion to the metal surface, greater durability, and higher resistance to the wide range of chemistry found in foods and beverages. These attributes are essential to protect the packed food from microbiological contamination, which is a significant food safety issue.

Canning might be the single most important innovation in the preservation of food in history. More than 1500 food items are regularly packed in cans, making out of season foods globally accessible year-round. More than 90% of food and beverage cans use epoxy-based coatings because of their strength, adhesion, formability and resistance to chemical reactions in the food and drinks — without affecting the taste or smell of the product. They protect the food from the container and from bacterial contamination. They give canned foods their long shelf-life.