Become Involved and Informed about BPA and Plastics

Like many topics in science, the concerns of plastic especially a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) seem to be mixed. The Food and Drug Administration supports the view point that BPA may be harmful while the American Chemistry Council (ACC) says that there is nothing to worry about. Posted is a video by CBS news from last year. 

The Uncertainty in Science and How it Relates to Food Chemistry

As was discussed in my Geology: Energy class, science is an attempt to explain observations that occur in our real world. From these observations, we can create a scientific model of the real world, but this model will always be imperfect and incomplete. There will always be scientific uncertainty. The point I am getting to is that policy making (In our case, the regulations of plastic as a means to store food.) is based off of this scientific model. Though people desire science to be certain, it is not. We have to make decisions off of information that has uncertainty. The important thing is to make these decisions before harm is done. As quoted from my class notes,

"Science is a struggle for the truth or understanding of the natural world. However, there is no one body or organization that judges whether a particular concept or idea is true or false."

We can not just take the ACC's word for it that BPA is safe, neither should we completely rely on the FDA to always be right. Science constantly evolves from concerns of the community and peer review. This means that the public needs to be involved, to ask why, and question the people giving the information.  We need to ask for the scientific evidence in which the ACC says plastics "should be" safe especially since there is substantial evidence out there saying that it "may not be". This "should be" and "may not be" is uncertainty.

We need to be critical thinkers and demand more information, to demand action be taken now because in all reality there always will be uncertainty.

How to become Involved and Informed

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages public comment and discussion in their FDA Transparency Blog. In general, the blog presents recent FDA actions to the public. It also provides the public with resources on FDA programs and regulations. This blog is all about providing information to the public and making sure the public can play an active role. Because making differences in food quality and science takes a community, I highly recommend this blog.

A blog called Life Less Plastic created by Jeanne Haegele provides information on plastic and ways to avoid using it. Avoiding plastic can be tough in today's world, but Jeanne Haegele proves that it can be done by living a life completely free of plastic. Plastic is used in everything from water bottles, baby bottles, lunch boxes, and even as a liner in some canned goods. Check out the blog for yourself and discover ways to begin a life with less plastic. 

The American Chemistry Council's opinion should not be ignored. This is true especially since plastic is heavily used in the world today. To view the American Chemistry Council's website, click here. 

Introduction to Food Chemistry

"Fake food--I mean those patented substances chemically flavored and mechanically bulked out to kill the appetite and deceive the gut--is unnatural, almost immoral, a bane to good eating and good cooking"

-- Julia Child

One of the most important factors governing quality of life is the quality of the food we eat. Julia Child certainly had it right. Fake food is immoral, and food adulteration and contamination whether purposeful or accidental is unacceptable. Sadly, there is a long history of food contamination. Even in the United States where the quality of living is considered with high regard, contaminants weasel their way into the food. This is where food chemistry comes in.

What is Food Chemistry?
Food Chemistry is a science devoted to studying "the composition and properties of food and the chemical change it undergoes during handling, processing, and storage" (Fennema). It aims to perfect the quality of food and to prevent health issues from the consumption of unsafe food.    

Goals
As a soon to be graduating chemistry major, I will be embarking on a journey into the world of food chemistry. Specifically, I will be focusing on the leaching of plastics (bisphenol A and phthalates) into food. This topic is nothing new since we have all heard about its dangers in the news, but there are some questions that have not been adequately addressed.

• What levels of bisphenol A and phthalates are safe for consumption?
• How dangerous are these chemicals and what do they do to our body?
• Do all types of plastic leach into food? What amounts of plastic actually leach into the food?
• What regulations have been made to reduce this problem?
• Should we ban the use of plastic as a means to store food?

I will attempt to get to the heart of this matter, to sift through all the exaggerations and pseudo science, but most of all my goal is to do my part as a budding scientist and citizen to better the quality of life.

I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want plastic food on the menu!



Sources

Fennema, Owen R., Srinivasan Damodaran, and Kirk L. Parkin. Fennema's Food Chemistry. 4th ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC, 2008. Print.