FDA Puts BPA Under Further Review

A couple of weeks ago, we decried the FDA's cozy relationship with industry in its announcement that the safety of products containing BPA was "adequate." It looks like we weren't the only ones who noticed. Friday, an advisory panel agreed that the FDA's report created "a false sense of security" regarding the safety of BPA. According to the Washington Post, the toxicologists on the panel "said the FDA had relied too heavily on studies funded by the chemical industry to make its decision." The FDA deserves credit for taking a second look at the science behind its decision, but this whole episode only further demonstrates that the danger of our federal agencies outsourcing their work to the industries they regulate – a trend the Obama administration should look to reverse.