Phasing out BPA in baby bottle is a good move, but if we look at the problems associated with BPA we will understand how little the Australian government policy actually achieves.
The phase out is a voluntary agreement with major retailers so it is not a blanket ban on BPA in baby bottles. Cheap stores and smaller labels will still stock baby bottles that contain BPA.
The government still considers BPA to be safe in the doses that a baby is exposed to even if they use a bottle that contains BPA. The phase out is supposedly in response to public concern. It would be unwise for the government to take any other position against BPA when it is in so many consumer products, many of which have no real alternatives (eg tinned food: see this older post).
The phase out will not protect children and babies from the toxic effects of BPA. Animal studies are showing that BPA exposure has the greatest risk when children are exposed in the womb. Pregnant women eating tinned food and collecting BPA lined receipts are exposing their unborn children to BPA at a time when such exposure can cause the greatest problems. A lot of the damage may already be done before a child could possibly use a baby bottle.
My recommendations still remain the same: Avoid BPA where ever possible, choose to eat fresh produce and avoid plastics.
So a big thankyou to the government for listening to parental concerns and helping initiate a voluntary phase out with the big retailers but once again they have failed to actually implement a policy to protect children from chemical harm.
Jeddah
See the government media release here:
Sound Earth Blog 