The finding prompted criticism from an agency advisory committee and others. In January 2010, FDA announced that it is evaluating recent scientific evidence and conducting additional studies. Health Effects

Exposure to large amounts of BPA is acutely toxic to humans and animals, but typical levels of BPA exposure from plastics are low. Some are especially concerned about medical devices, such as feeding and breathing tubes, that could leach the chemical into tissues, and, in particular, the possible health effects of such exposures in premature or critically ill infants, in whom such products may be used for long periods of time. Other potential sources of exposure are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For example, in July 2010, several studies indicated that skin contact with BPA in thermal paper coatings (for example, the paper used for cash register receipts) may contribute significantly to human exposure. EPA is responsible for protecting public health and the environment from unreasonable risks associated with production, interstate commerce, and use of industrial chemicals, including BPA, when they are not specifically regulated under other federal laws, such as those covering alcohol, food, drugs, or consumer products. EPA has made BPA the focus of a "chemical action plan" to gather information and possibly to regulate the chemical. The plan was released in March 2010. It proposes to include BPA on a list of chemicals of concern, a list created under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), section 5(b)(4), "on the basis of its potential for long-term adverse effects on growth, reproduction and development in aquatic species at concentrations similar to those found in the environment." A chemical of concern is "a substance that may present an unreasonable risk of injury to the environment." Finally, EPA has initiated "collaborative alternatives assessment activities" under its Design for the Environment (DfE) program. These activities aim to reduce BPA releases and environmental exposures. The first partnership is searching for alternatives to BPA in thermal paper. The safety of most foods, thought to be the primary source of human exposure to BPA, is the responsibility of FDA. Some other scientists who reviewed the panel's conclusions disagreed. State Government Actions

Many states have considered or are considering legislation to restrict use of BPA in products intended for use by infants and children. Delaware stated its support for efforts to develop alternatives, and Pennsylvania passed legislation that "[u]rges the Congress of the United States and the Food and Drug Administration to encourage the use of reduced bisphenol-A in the manufacture of plastic food containers and bottles." Officials may also choose to develop non-regulatory approaches to manage these risks. However, these studies have many shortcomings. Although it is reported that many food companies are considering a switch to other forms of BPA-free food packaging, manufacturers of cans represented by the North American Metal Packaging Alliance maintain that suitable alternatives to BPA are not available, and in almost all cases are not likely to become available in the immediate future. 432 and S. 136 , would ban the use of BPA in food containers. The 111 th Congress considered several bills that addressed BPA, but none was enacted. Companion bills ( S. 593 / H.R. A second pair of bills ( S. 753 / H.R. Another bill ( H.R. 4341 ) would have required a warning label on any food container containing BPA. Activities under H.R. FDA would have been required to notify Congress about any uses of BPA for which such a determination could not be made and how the agency would regulate such use to protect the public health.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to produce certain types of plastic, in thousands of formulations for myriad products. Products made with these plastics may expose people to small amounts of BPA. The most significant source of public exposure is thought to be through food, although other ubiquitous products such as thermal paper coatings, and for some individuals medical devices, such as feeding and breathing tubes, also may contribute significantly to human exposure. Some studies have found that fetal and infant development may be harmed by very small amounts of BPA, but scientists disagree about the amount of BPA that is likely to harm human health.
In the United States and elsewhere, scientific disagreement about the possibility of human health effects that may result from BPA exposure has led to conflicting regulatory decisions by various advisory bodies and regulatory agencies. Controversy has centered on the safety of food containers, especially those intended for use by infants and children. A conclusion by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that BPA use is safe conflicted with earlier findings by a panel of scientific advisers, but other scientists who reviewed that panel's conclusions disagreed. These events prompted some to question FDA's process for the assessment of such health risks, and others to question the agency's fundamental ability to conduct such assessments competently. More recently, FDA expressed concern about possible health effects from BPA exposure and announced that it was conducting new studies on the matter, pending possible changes in its regulatory approach.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecting public health and the environment from unreasonable risks associated with production, interstate commerce, and use of industrial chemicals, including BPA, when they are not specifically regulated under other federal laws. In March 2010, EPA released a "chemical action plan" for BPA that proposed to list BPA as a chemical of concern that may present an unreasonable risk to certain aquatic species at concentrations similar to those found in the environment; to consider rulemaking to gather additional data relevant to environmental effects; and to initiate collaborative alternatives assessment activities under its Design for the Environment (DfE) program to encourage reductions in BPA releases and exposures. EPA is evaluating alternatives to BPA for use in paper for thermal printing.
Some food companies, bottle manufacturers, and paper receipt producers have voluntarily changed to BPA-free products. It is reported that some companies are exploring alternatives to BPA-containing food cans. However, others have said that for some types of canned foods, alternatives that preserve the safety and quality of the food currently may not be available.
In the 112th Congress, companion bills, H.R. 432 and S. 136, would ban the use of BPA in food containers. In the 111th Congress, a number of bills (S. 593/H.R. 1523, S. 753/H.R. 4456, H.R. 4341, H.R. 5820) were introduced that would have curtailed uses of BPA in certain products, required labeling of products containing BPA, or required EPA or FDA to reassess risks. None of these bills was enacted.