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Since 1930, many Americans have trusted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to tell us what foods are safe to eat and what products are safe to use. According to their mission statement, posted on fda.gov, “the FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.”
Sadly, the facts tell a different story. Time and time again, the FDA has failed to sufficiently test products before giving them a seal of approval, knowingly risking the lives of all Americans who place trust in them. Two pertinent examples of this failure are the FDA’s history regarding the use of bisphenol A (BPA) and aspartame.
In July of 2012, the FDA announced that it would discontinue the use of BPA, an estrogen-mimicking chemical compound, in baby bottles and toddler cups. Until then, the compound was used regularly since the 1960’s in plastic bottles and can linings, including cans of baby formula and soda.
However, even in light of multiple studies regarding the dangers of BPA, including hormonal changes and early puberty in adolescent girls, the FDA still sanctions the use of BPA in non-baby products. It is still allowed in our can linings, plastic containers, and ironically, in cans of baby formula.
Studies have confirmed that BPA can leak from containers into our food. It has also been found in the blood, breast milk and umbilical cord blood of pregnant women. A study of approximately 2,000 people discovered that over 90 percent of them had BPA in their urine.
Even so, the FDA insists that BPA is safe, and says that the ban of BPA in baby products was merely a gesture in response to consumer concerns. The FDA’s deputy commissioner of foods, Michael Taylor, was quoted saying that the FDA, “has been looking hard at BPA for a long time, and based on all the evidence, we continue to support its safe use.”
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Every Day is Earth Day
2013-04-25 03:16:28
Source: http://www.riseearth.com/2013/04/2-of-most-toxic-fda-approved-poisons.html