Minister's Remarks on Bisphenol A

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us here today.

When the Prime Minister and I announced the Chemicals Management Plan in December 2006, he said it would make Canada a world leader in assessing and regulating chemicals used in thousands of industrial and consumer products.

We stated then that we had established clear priorities and were taking action to protect the health of Canadians.

One of the approximately 200 chemicals we selected for priority review was bisphenol A, which is a chemical building block used primarily to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins.

Based on the results of our assessment, today, I am proposing precautionary action to reduce exposure and increase safety.

Health Canada's draft assessment has now been completed, and will be published in the Canada Gazette on April 19th for a 60-day public comment period.

The draft assessment tells us that most Canadians need not be concerned. This is because health effects occur at levels much greater than those we are exposed to in Canada.

But, this is not the case for newborns and infants. We have concluded that early development is sensitive to the effects of bisphenol A.

Although our science tells us exposure levels to newborns and infants are below the levels that cause effects, it is better to be safe than sorry. Consequently, I am announcing actions today that will reduce exposure and increase safety.

And so, if no new, relevant and compelling information comes forward during the public consultation period, it is our intention to ban the importation, sale and advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles.

With this action, Canada will be the first country in the world to take such action to limit exposures to bisphenol A.

The precautionary actions our government is taking are prudent and make good public health sense.

Polycarbonate plastic has been the material of choice for baby bottles and reusable water bottles for decades because it's lightweight, highly shatter-resistant, and transparent.

Those qualities also make it ideal for use in sports and safety equipment such as hockey helmets, CDs and DVDs, electronic equipment, and in automobiles where it's used to replace certain metal and glass parts.

Bisphenol A is also used in epoxy resins, which have many uses such as liners in metal cans to maintain the quality of canned foods and beverages.

The newest and most current information available has raised concern about the potential migration of bisphenol A from polycarbonate products and epoxy linings of cans into food and beverages, and the health effects that might occur as a result.

Based on our science assessment, we can say that this is not a concern for most Canadians.

So, while we are on track to ban polycarbonate baby bottles, Canadians can continue using the hard, plastic, re-usable water bottles and plastic tableware if they so choose, and we will be providing some advice on how to use them properly.

The epoxy lining of infant formula can also contain bisphenol-A. And so, we will be working with industry to reduce the level of bisphenol A in the linings of cans, and to find alternative technologies as soon as possible.

In saying this, let me be clear: even now, the nutritional benefits of canned infant formula far outweigh the risk of exposure to bisphenol A.

For parents and caregivers, I want to give some practical steps you can take to reduce exposures to bisphenol A to your newborns and infants.

First and foremost, as you will see in the fact sheets and web site information we're providing online at healthycanadians-DOT-ca, parents should never pour boiling water into a polycarbonate baby bottle.

Glass bottles, bottles with disposable liners, or bisphenol A-free plastic bottles are better alternatives.

In closing now, while a large amount of research has been done on bisphenol A, many questions remain unanswered.

Therefore I am also announcing that we will be dedicating funds from the Chemicals Management Plan to an aggressive research plan focussed on mothers, the foetus, newborns and infants.

Its objective will be to better define sources and levels of exposure along with key points in time when these exposures may cause effects.

As the Chemicals Management Plan requires strong stewardship from industry, we will be working with industry, and others, to help us fill these gaps.

Since it was announced, the Chemicals Management Plan has taken an historic new approach to managing the risks that chemicals pose to Canadians and to our environment.

This approach puts the onus on industry.

Instead of making government prove a substance is unsafe, the Challenge Program puts the onus on industry to prove to us they are using chemicals safely.

When the Prime Minister and I rolled-out the Chemicals Management Plan, he committed to keeping our nation at the forefront of health and environmental protection.

And with today's announcement, we are meeting that commitment.