Congressman Ted Deutch has signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 432, the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2011. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is used to make a type of polycarbonate plastic that is manufactured into various food and beverage containers including baby bottles, water bottles and thermoses. BPA is also used to coat the inside of almost all food and beverage cans, including baby formula, canned fruits and vegetables. In fact, BPA is so prevalent in household items that more than 90 percent of Americans have traces of this chemical in their urine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers have found that BPA leaches from containers into food and beverages and has been linked to a host of health problems, including cancer, reproductive dysfunction and heart disease. To combat this, H.R. 432 bans the sale of  reusable food and beverage containers (e.g., baby bottles and thermoses) and other food containers (e.g., canned food and formula) that contain BPA. The legislation also gives the FDA the tools needed to take regulatory action, if necessary, on other harmful chemicals present in food and beverage containers linked to adverse health effects.

You can read H.R. 432, the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2011, here.