NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Committee to Investigate Chemical in Infant
Formula Liners

Washington, DC – Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, today announced an investigation into the use of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in products intended for use by infants and children.

In letters to seven prominent manufacturers of baby food and to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the lawmakers noted that the chemical may be used in material that lines cans of infant formula and that the lining may leak into the formula itself, exposing children to bisphenol A.

“There is concern in the scientific community that this chemical, bisphenol A, may be harmful, both to adults and children, and some retail stores in Canada have pulled products from their shelves because it may harm adults,” Dingell said. “It would seem obvious that we would try to protect babies and infants from chemicals that may be considered dangerous to adults.”

“At best, the scientific community has concerns about the safety of bisphenol A. Our primary goal is to protect infants from a potentially harmful chemical,” said Stupak. “Our investigation intends to examine how the FDA determined this chemical to be safe for use in infant formula cans.”

"There appears to be at least circumstantial evidence suggesting that BPA can be harmful to adults," said Rep. Al Wynn (D-MD), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials. "On its face, it seems unwise to expose infants to such a potentially dangerous substance."

Some scientists have raised concerns that bisphenol A could contribute to diabetes, cancer and obesity. The Committee’s letters were sent to Hain-Celestial Group Inc.; Mead Johnson & Company; Nestle USA, Inc.; PBM Products; Ross Products Division, Abbott; Solus Products, LLC and Wyeth Nutrition. The Committee sent a separate letter to the FDA.

View the letters

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