Could you be putting yourself at risk for heart disease simply by consuming food and drink from plastic packaging?
Consumers may have noted news reports over the past year that suggested bisphenol A (BPA) could harm small children, babies and fetuses.
Now, the first major study of the chemical, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reveals that it could be connected to common medical conditions such as heart disease, heart attacks and type 2 diabetes.
Despite these findings, the Food and Drug Administration has not condoned any changes to packaging guidelines, even insisting that BPA does not pose a risk to humans.
“Our tentative conclusion is that its safe, so were not recommending any change in habits,” commented head of FDA office of food additive safety Laura Tarantino.
Some experts, however, argue that the need for further restrictions is urgent. Dr Ana Soto of Tufts University told CNN that “we shouldnt wait until further studies are done in order to act in protecting humans.”
BPA is found in a range of commonly used products, from water bottles to CDs.