The U.S.-based Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDS) claims it has been told by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that chemical bisphenol A (BPA) would remain in food packaging.

NRDS says the hormone-disrupting chemical has been shown to have links to cancer, obesity and a host of other health problems in the food supply.

"BPA is a toxic chemical that has no place in our food supply. We believe FDA made the wrong call," says NRDS public health program senior scientist Dr Sarah Janssen.

"The agency has failed to protect our health and safety ­ - in the face of scientific studies that continue to raise disturbing questions about the long-term effects of BPA exposures, especially in fetuses, babies and young children.

"The FDA is out-of-step with scientific and medical research.  This illustrates the need for a major overhaul of how the government protects us against dangerous chemicals."

An NRDS release said the FDA emphasized it was not making a final determination of BPA’s safety and instead will continue to examine the ongoing research of BPA’s effects on health.

Opinion: Toxic chemicals in U.S. packaging must go

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