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April 21, 2008 -- Wal-Mart says it will phase out baby bottles containing the chemical bisphenol A by early 2009.
Bisphenol A, also called BPA, is a chemical found in polycarbonate plastic, which is used to make products including some water bottles and baby bottles, and epoxy resins, which are used to line metal products such as canned foods.
In a draft report issued April 15, U.S. government scientists note "some concern" about bisphenol A's possible effects on health, based on lab tests in rodents. But that report isn't final, and the scientists aren't calling bisphenol A unsafe.
In a statement emailed to WebMD, Wal-Mart spokesman Nick Agarwal says, "Safety is a top priority for Wal-Mart. While the FDA has not established any restrictions on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles, for several years now we have offered a variety of BPA-free products for customers who seek this option. We are working to expand our BPA-free offerings and expect the entire assortment of baby bottles to be BPA free sometime early next year."
The American Chemistry Council, an industry group, wasn't immediately available to comment on Wal-Mart's decision. The council has previously said that the potential human exposure to bisphenol A is "extremely small" and that bisphenol A poses no known risks to human health.
Wal-Mart's move comes days after the Canadian government issued a bisphenol A?risk assessment that mainly focused on babies up to 18 months of age who are fed through polycarbonate bottles exposed to high temperatures. The Canadian government concluded that bisphenol A?exposure for those babies is "below levels that may pose a risk."?
But the Canadian government says that "to be prudent,"?it proposes banning bisphenol A?in polycarbonate baby bottles and taking other steps to reduce bisphenol A?exposure in babies.
In response, the American Chemistry Council says that it respects Canada's decision but that Canada's?move isn't based on science.?The council also says it has asked the FDA?to "re-review the safety of bisphenol A?for additional reassurance to the public on the safety of consumer products."
Wal-Mart isn't the only company backing away from bisphenol A. Reusable bottle maker Nalgene says it will stop using bisphenol A in its consumer water bottles.
Other stores aren't going quite that far. For instance, Target spokesman Joshua Thomas tells WebMD that although Target has "not experienced a significant shift away from polycarbonate products, we are continuing to expand our offerings of non-BPA options for baby bottles throughout this year and into 2009."
(Are you worried about chemicals in your plastic bottles? Join the discussion on WebMD's Health Cafe message board.)