BPA ban in food

If I find something important and interesting that's making headlines in the news out on the web I try to repost it on my site. I found this article on the mom365.com site about the FDA's rule on BPA in food. It is scary to me knowing that BPA is still being used in so many different forms of packaging. Even in baby food. Truly something needs to be done by the government to control the use of this poison that sickens already the most vulnerable. Hopefully this is a way in the right direction. Here is the article below; read for yourself:

"FDA to Rule on BPA in Food and Beverage Packaging"

"In the wake of Campbell's announcement in early March that it will phase out BPA - aka bisphenol A - in its packaging, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration might be on the verge of banning BPA from all food and beverage packaging.
BPA is in the lining of canned foods like pasta sauces and formula, as well as in jar lids and plastic bottles (it’s also on cash register receipts), and the FDA is meeting this weekend to rule on whether the government should force a complete ban. The Environmental Working Group, which is petitioning the agency to impose the ban, claims that studies have found the chemical compound in breast milk, amniotic fluid and cord blood. BPA can disrupt hormones and has been linked to a slew of issues, including learning disabilities, early female puberty, obesity and cancer.
In the past couple of years, states have ruled against BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups, yet eliminating BPA altogether from children’s diets can seem tougher than avoiding Google. Last month, a health group coalition sampled 12 baby food jars in Maine - where BPA is outlawed in sippy cups and baby bottles – and found BPA in 11 jars of baby food from major companies, including one organic baby food. The coalition also found BPA in Campbell's Dora the Explorer SpaghettiOs. Campbell Soup Company says it will phase BPA out of its products this year, whether or not the FDA rules in favor of the ban.
Campbell's director of corporate communications, Anthony Sanzio, told Mom365 that Campbell's is already using BPA alternatives in some products. He said the company is responding rapidly to customers' BPA concerns, but added: "There's not an exact date that we can give for when all BPA will be eliminated from every product. We need to test and try different BPA alternatives. Not every alternative works with every type of food. Sometimes it's a matter of how the alternative affects shelf life of food, sometimes taste."
Check back for updates on the FDA ruling.
Meanwhile...
How you can limit BPA exposure in your children’s diets
If you give your kids juices or sodas, choose glass bottles over cans, especially for acidic citrus juices.
Chose BPA-free water bottles.
If you use formula, use powdered rather than canned.
If you don't need it, toss the receipt – and wash your hands after you’ve been shopping.
Do you think the FDA should ban BPA? Or should the agency leave it up to companies, like Campbell's, to phase it out?"

Update on Enfamil

As it seems Enfamil was not the cause of death of 2 babies. They tested the food and the results where negative for Cronobacter. Here is an email I received from Enfamil explaining the situation.


Dear DANIELA,

With the recent media attention to infant formula, we want to make sure that you—as a member of the Enfamil® Family Beginnings™ program—know that trust in Enfamil products is well placed. We are completely confident that Enfamil PREMIUM® Newborn formula and all the other products we manufacture are safe.

That's because every single batch of Enfamil formula undergoes approximately 2,300 individual quality and safety tests before being shipped from our warehouse.

Our high standard of quality and safety is one you can continue to trust for your baby. It's one of the many reasons that Enfamil is the #1 pediatrician-recommended formula brand.

Like you, we were deeply saddened recently to learn of the death of a newborn boy in Missouri. The boy tested positive for Cronobacter (Enterobacter sakazakii), a strain of bacteria found throughout the environment.

We test all of our formulas for Cronobacter prior to releasing them for sale. We can say with confidence that the testing of the Enfamil Newborn batch associated with the baby in Missouri did not show any presence of this bacteria.

But even though we were entirely confident of our product's safety, we didn't want to leave it at that. We wanted to reassure you of the safety of our products. So we performed additional scientific testing last week on samples from the same batch of formula used by the boy's family. Those repeat tests did not show any presence of Cronobacter.

The attention to quality and safety that comes with our 100-year legacy of trust is one you can count on. Every batch of Enfamil formula meets—and often exceeds—our own high safety and quality standards, and those set by regulatory bodies including the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

You can continue to be confident about placing trust in every one of our products.

As a reminder, it is important to properly handle formula when feeding your baby. Every package of Enfamil contains instructions for easily and safely preparing and using the product, including proper hygiene, preparation, dilution, use and storage. We encourage you to review and follow these instructions.

We encourage you to contact us any time you have questions about Mead Johnson Nutrition products.

Visit EnfamilAlerts.com
Call the Enfamil Resource Center at 1-800-222-9123
Email us at EnfamilResourceCenter@Enfamil.com
Follow us on Twitter @Enfamil
We're committed to nourishing the world's children for the best start in life. And to being the brand you trust for your baby.

Sincerely,
Enfamil Brands
Mead Johnson Nutrition

Be aware of Enfamil newborn formula

I just came across these news about Enfamil newborn baby food. It has been taken of shelves after a death of a baby. Read more below:

More retailers remove Enfamil Newborn formula after infant death

Several more national retailers have joined Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in pulling a batch of powdered infant formula from their shelves after a Missouri newborn who consumed it apparently died of a rare bacterial infection.
Supervalu Inc., Walgreen Co., Kroger Co. and Safeway said Friday that they had removed cans of Enfamil Newborn with the lot number ZP1K7G from various stores across the country. They say it's a precaution until health officials complete tests on the formula.
Ten-day-old Avery Cornett died Sunday after getting sick several days earlier. Preliminary hospital tests indicated that he died of a rare infection caused by bacteria known as Cronobacter sakazakii.
The source of the bacteria that caused the infection hasn't been determined, but it can be found in dried milk and powdered formula.

By the Associated Press