Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Yesterday, Consumer Reports released a study of the levels of bisphenol a (BPA) in food products. They found that nearly all of the 19 canned food products they tested contained levels of BPA which have been associated with harm in...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Last week, the FDA had a public meeting with their scientific advisors to give a regular quarterly update on what is happening at the Agency. This included an update on the re-evaluation of BPA that has now been slated for...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
What does "known to cause" mean to you? Does it mean "beyond a reasonable doubt"? Or "clear and convincing"? To a scientist like me, this type of legal-speak is baffling, yet we were hearing a lot of it from the...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Many of my blog posts are about the hormone disrupting chemical, bisphenol A or BPA. This chemical has been in the spotlight quite a bit over the past several years and will be again this week in California when the...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Yesterday I posted a blog about the latest industry tactics to promote the continued use of the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in our food packaging. There is widespread exposure to this chemical in the general public. And current levels...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
I am a typical mom who makes most of the purchasing decisions in my family. I cut coupons, read labels, shop in bulk, and do my best to purchase healthy products. Because I am concerned about exposure to Bisphenol A...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Yesterday, NPR ran a story on the federal ban on phthalates (pronounced thal-ates) in children's products. Phthalates are chemicals used in many common consumer products, including as softeners of plastic children's toys. The NPR story interviewed just one scientist from the...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Last Friday, the CPSC issued a stay of the testing and certification requirements for lead and phthalates. As a result, toy manufacturers and sellers small and large will NOT be required to test or provide COCs (certificates of compliance) for...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
A distinction needs to be made. Today's ruling found that CPSC has to follow through on protecting children from phthalate-laden toys. The CPSC's recent stay regarding the testing and certification is a separate matter. We support granting exemptions to companies,...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
NRDC scored a big victory today when a federal judge ruled in our favor in a court case against the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC had previously ruled that although Congress had set a date of Feb. 10th,...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
In this era of change, not much has changed at the FDA , where officials continue to say that bisphenol A (BPA) in our food supply is safe despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. We are hopeful that once a new...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Today an expert group of scientists issued a strongly worded report that verifies what most of us already knew - we live in a toxic soup of chemicals that we accumulate by breathing contaminated air, eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
With the holiday season upon us, I have been asked by well meaning friends and family members what they can get my daughter for a Christmas gift. Any ideas I can give them are accompanied by a long list of...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come under fire for a lot of missteps over the past 8 years. From recalls of "blockbuster medications" like Vioxx and Baycol, to bacterial contamination of spinach and tomatoes, to pet food contamination, to the...
Posted by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
This has been a big week in the saga around bisphenol A (BPA) - a chemical in food packaging that poses a considerable health risk, especially to infants and children. Our health team has been working on this for years, and we are hopeful that...
