Congress and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have begun to further explore the dangers posed by bisphenol A (BPA) and whether to regulate its use, especially in food and beverage containers. BPA is an industrial chemical used to make hard plastic containers, such as baby bottles, and is part of the lining of food cans, where it is used to prevent metal from leaching into foods. Congress recently held a hearing and is considering legislation to limit the use of BPA. The FDA is assessing the toxicity of the chemical to help determine the risk to consumers.

The huge farm bill reauthorization under discussion among House and Senate conferees contains two food safety-related items that could help regulatory agencies better protect the U.S. food supply and provide consumers with more information when making purchasing decisions. First, the bill contains country-of-origin labeling, primarily for marketing livestock by-products. Second, it proposes a bipartisan food safety commission to review the existing food system and make recommendations for improvements.

In an effort to improve transparency following litigation on defective products, the House last week introduced the Sunshine in Litigation Act (H.R. 5884).