IFC Statement on the National Toxicology Program Center

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Statement on NTP-CERHR Brief on BPA

International Formula Council (IFC)*Statement on the National Toxicology Program Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (NTP-CERHR) Draft Brief on Bisphenol A

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR) released its draft “Brief” on bisphenol A (BPA) on April 15, 2008.¹ In this report, NTP describes five levels of concern when assessing reproductive risk: “serious concern,” “concern,” “some concern,” “minimal concern,” and “negligible concern.”

In the draft Brief, NTP concluded that it has “some” concern for BPA exposure in fetuses, infants, and children based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females.  This concern was slightly higher than the “minimal concern” expressed by the CERHR expert panel, who previously evaluated the scientific literature on BPA in August 2007.  After a rigorous and lengthy review, the CERHR expert panel found that human exposure to BPA is extremely low and posed no serious risk to human reproduction and development. 

The draft NTP Brief will be open to public comment until May 23, 2008 and the NTP Board of Scientific Counselors will meet to peer review and finalize the Brief on June 11-12, 2008. 

The NTP is not a regulatory body; they are an advisory expert panel.  The NTP Brief is not a quantitative risk assessment nor is it intended to “supersede risk assessments conducted by regulatory agencies.”  The NTP Brief is intended to be an environmental health resource for the public and regulatory and health agencies.  Thus, the NTP Brief is expected to be considered by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in addition to numerous other scientific evaluations of BPA to determine whether any change is warranted regarding FDA's current opinion that BPA is safe for humans.

BPA is used in food packaging to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy can coatings.  Based on numerous safety tests, the FDA permits the use of BPA in clear plastics and metal can coatings for all types of foods including infant formula. BPA has been safely used in consumer products for over 50 years.

Parents and health professionals can be assured infant formula is safe and nutritious.

For additional information, please read the International Formula Council (IFC) Supports Sound Science as Criteria for the Use of Bisphenol A (BPA) statement.

April 2008

1 National Toxicology Program Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction.  NTP Draft Brief on Bisphenol A.  April 14, 2008.  Available at: http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol/BPADraftBriefVF_04_14_08.pdf

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*The IFC is an association of manufacturers and marketers of formulated nutrition products, e.g., infant formulas and adult nutritionals, whose members are based predominantly in North America.  IFC members are: Abbott Nutrition; Mead Johnson Nutrition; Nestlé Infant Nutrition; and Wyeth Nutrition.