Ceepackaging

Environment

FDA to look at long term effects of packaging additive

BPA is a manufacturing chemical employed mainly in the production of clear and hard plastics known as “polycarbonate” and is found in a great number of consumer products including baby bottles and recyclable water bottles. It is also used in epoxy resins, a thermosetting resin, which is used as a protective lining on the inner side of beverage cans and metal-based food tins.

“After a multitude of research, the FDA expressed concern regarding the potential harmful effects of BPA and the increased risks of cancer for humans – reversing the agency’s controversial 2008 ruling,” said Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc.

After the repeated urging of consumer and watchdog groups at the end of the past decade, the FDA, which initially approved the use of BPA as a food contact subject or indirect food additive in the late 1960s, began reinvestigating the chemical’s use in products that come in contact with food. As part of its recent statement, the FDA called for additional BPA studies by both government and non-government organizations and also announced a set of studies by its own National Center for Toxicological Research focusing on the safety of low doses of BPA.

“While even the most recent studies documenting the effects of BPA on humans are largely inconclusive and the FDA has made no moves of yet to ban the substance in plastics, bioplastics provide the safe alternative. Bioplastics firms like Cereplast are offering BPA-free alternatives and finding ourselves in greater favor among consumers and manufacturers,” said Scheer. “The increased level of safety, coupled with the fact that bioplastics are renewable and eco-friendly means less potential for opposition in regards to their expanded use, especially in applications such as toys, food service ware, infant furniture, etc.”

In the interim, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released recommended ways for the public to reduce their exposure to BPA at http://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa.

Cereplast offers two families of resins: Cereplast Compostables^® are renewable, ecologically sound substitutes for petroleum-based plastic products that replace nearly 100% of the petroleum-based additives used in traditional plastics with bio-based material such as corn, wheat, tapioca and potato starches. Cereplast Compostables® are a proprietary and patented formulation from Cereplast using Ingeo® biopolymers from NatureWorks. Cereplast Hybrids® are resins consisting of traditional polyolefins with up-to 50% renewable content. Cereplast recently announced the launch of an Algae Plastic that will substitute agricultural feedstock with algae as soon as 2011.