Citing Safety, Wal-Mart and Nalgene Pull BPA Bottles From Shelves

April 18, 2008— -- Wal-Mart said it would phase out BPA from all the baby bottles it sells, replacing them with different plastics or glass.

"Safety is a top priority for Wal-Mart," the company said in a statement. "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."

Are you a parent nervous about BPA? Click Here for a Guide on How to Find a BPA-Free Bottle.

Nalgene, which makes water jugs for athletes, said today it, too, would phase out BPA.

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The Babies 'R Us retail chain says sales of BPA-free bottles have gone up fivefold in the past year. Canada's health minister Tony Clement today proposed that his country ban the import and sale of any baby bottles with BPA in them, saying, "We believe that the current safety margin needs to be higher."

All these moves are happening even though the U.S. government says it cannot prove what harm BPA may do and is not putting restrictions on its use.

Click here to read about some parents who are playing it safe with glass bottles.

A government panel said there's "some concern" that it could harm newborns, perhaps affecting their growth rates and causing hyperactivity, and perhaps increasing the risk of breast or prostate cancer in later life. But they said adults are safe and more studies are needed.

"The animal studies suggest that there's a potential for health effects in humans, but we really have limited studies in humans," said Dr. Maida Galvez of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Chemical companies say it's all needless attention, and that BPA is safe and people are overreacting.

"The retailers did not need to take the place of the regulators," said Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council, which believes that concerns about the safety of these products are unfounded.

In the meantime, though, consumers have been voting at the checkout counter, and paying for it. A plastic bottle made without BPA costs four times as much as conventional ones.

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The Babies 'R Us retail chain says sales of BPA-free bottles have gone up fivefold in the past year. Canada's health minister Tony Clement today proposed that his country ban the import and sale of any baby bottles with BPA in them, saying, "We believe that the current safety margin needs to be higher."

All these moves are happening even though the U.S. government says it cannot prove what harm BPA may do and is not putting restrictions on its use.

Click here to read about some parents who are playing it safe with glass bottles.

A government panel said there's "some concern" that it could harm newborns, perhaps affecting their growth rates and causing hyperactivity, and perhaps increasing the risk of breast or prostate cancer in later life. But they said adults are safe and more studies are needed.

"The animal studies suggest that there's a potential for health effects in humans, but we really have limited studies in humans," said Dr. Maida Galvez of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Chemical companies say it's all needless attention, and that BPA is safe and people are overreacting.

"The retailers did not need to take the place of the regulators," said Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council, which believes that concerns about the safety of these products are unfounded.

In the meantime, though, consumers have been voting at the checkout counter, and paying for it. A plastic bottle made without BPA costs four times as much as conventional ones.

"The animal studies suggest that there's a potential for health effects in humans, but we really have limited studies in humans," said Dr. Maida Galvez of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Chemical companies say it's all needless attention, and that BPA is safe and people are overreacting.

"The retailers did not need to take the place of the regulators," said Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council, which believes that concerns about the safety of these products are unfounded.

In the meantime, though, consumers have been voting at the checkout counter, and paying for it. A plastic bottle made without BPA costs four times as much as conventional ones.