Chemical Found In Baby Bottles May Not Be Safe, Panel Rules

November 2, 2008 8:34 a.m. EST

(AHN) - The Food and Drug Administration's determination that a widely-used chemical found in baby bottles is safe contained mistakes and should be redone, an FDA panel unanimously ruled.

The chemical, bisphenol-A, or BPA, is also found in many other plastic products.

The FDA science board stated in a report released earlier this week that the FDA ignored several government-funded studies linking exposure to low doses of BPA to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, hyperactivity and cancer in laboratory animals.

The FDA based its findings that BPA is harmless only on studies funded by the chemical industry, according to the panel's report.

The panel also stated in the report that BPA's margin of safety is "inadequate."