A panel of scientific experts has lambasted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for apparently ignoring important scientific evidence while reassuring consumers about the safety of the disputed chemical bisphenol-A.

BPA is used in making hard, clear plastic water bottles and baby bottles. It is also present in the lining of nearly every soft drink and canned food product.

Last week, in a report, the panel did not infer any conclusions about the safety of the chemical, commonly abbreviated as BPA, but did criticise the FDA for having turned a blind eye to studies the panel called crucial. It also said that the methods that the FDA used to arrive at its conclusions were flawed.

In its report, the panel said that the FDA's evaluation of BPA ''creates a false sense of security'' wile it overlooks other potentially serious findings.

BPA seems to mimic the body's own hormones, possibly causing negative health effects, leading to concerns about long term low dose exposure. It seems to have estrogen-like effects and in animal studies it appears to accelerate puberty and pose risk of cancer.

The main area of focus of the concerns is children's exposure to chemicals. Some reports have suggested that BPA could interfere with chemotherapy, and has been correlated with heart disease and diabetes in adults.

FDA says the levels of BPA to which children and adults are exposed do not pose a meaningful risk. However, studies by the CDC found BPA in the urine of 95 per cent of adults sampled in 1988–1994 and in 93 per cent of children and adults tested in 2003 – 2004.

Reports also suggest that infants fed with liquid formula are amongst the most exposed, and those fed formula from polycarbonate bottles could consume up to 13 micrograms of BPA per kg of body weight per day. On the other hand, the most sensitive animal studies show effects at much lower doses, while the EPA considers exposures up to 50 micrograms per kg of body weight per day as safe.

The FDA asked an independent panel of scientific advisers to review its conclusions on BPA, constituting a seven-member panel including environmental health, toxicology and statistics experts from three major universities, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Amongst concerns raised by the panel are:

The FDA assessment lacks an adequate number of infant-formula samples and relies heavily on averages, instead of accounting for variability in the samples.

The FDA excluded several important animal studies which questioned the safety of BPA.

New research on BPA in adult humans and animals was published after the FDA's draft report and needs to be included.
The margins of safety for BPA exposure used by the agency are "inadequate."

In a statement, the FDA said the subcommittee report to the Science Board raises important questions regarding the draft safety assessment. It agreed that due to the uncertainties raised in some studies relating to the potential effects of low dose exposure to BPA, additional research would be valuable. It said that it is moving forward with planned research to address the potential low dose effects of BPA, the findings of which would be carefully evaluated.

The FDA also said in its statement that consumers should know that, ''based on all available evidence, the present consensus among regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan is that current levels of exposure to BPA through food packaging do not pose an immediate health risk to the general population, including infants and babies.''

Regarding Canada, the FDA says that Health Canada's assessment of BPA on newborns and infants up to 18 months of age concludes that ''exposure levels are below the levels that could cause health effects''. It says that the Canadian government is taking steps to restrict the use of BPA ''out of an abundance of caution''.

The statement also addresses parents who ''wish to use alternatives for their bottle-fed babies can use glass and other substitutes for polycarbonate plastic bottles''. It cautions against heating formula in polycarbonate plastic bottles, and has said that they should consult their pediatrician about switching to powdered infant formula.