(China Daily) -- Six ministries announced on Monday that they have banned the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in the production of babies' bottles in an attempt to protect the health of infants.
The China's Ministry of Health and five other ministries issued a joint notice on their websites calling for an end to the production of such bottles starting on June 1. The ministries have also forbidden the import and sale of such bottles starting Sept 1.
BPA is widely used in the production of plastics, including tableware and beverage containers. However, BPA is now understood to be an endocrine disruptor and experts say it could lead to the early sexual development of children and may cause cancer. Its use was banned in Canada in September 2010 and in the European Union in March.
On April 20, China's health ministry solicited opinions from related government agencies on a draft proposal to prohibit the manufacture and import of infant food containers incorporating the chemical.
When the final regulation was released, the ministry changed the phrase "infant food containers" into "infant nursing bottles" for clarification.
MRC