A ‘gender-bending’ chemical used in food containers, baby bottles and baked beans tins should be put through the same rigorous safety trials as new drugs, a leading scientist has declared.

Professor David Melzer called for an urgent review into the safety of bisphenol A (BPA ) – a man-made chemical linked to heart disease, breast cancer and birth defects.
The Exeter University academic also urged manufacturers to cut down on BPA in food packaging and containers

Sept. 7, 2010 -- Parents worried about mercury in amalgam dental fillings now have a new bugbear: BPA from dental sealants and "white" fillings.

Bisphenol A -- BPA -- is a resin used in many kinds of plastics, including some water bottles and metal food can liners. Emerging evidence suggests, but does not prove, that BPA can have harmful effects on human health, particularly on child development.

Dental sealants and fillings don't contain BPA, but many of them contain compounds that turn into BPA on contact with saliva. Is this a problem? That's what one mother recently asked in a letter sent to Children's Hospital, Boston.

To answer the question, pediatric endocrinologist Abby F. Fleisch, MD, and colleagues performed an exhaustive review of the scientific evidence. They came to two conclusions:

* BPA does indeed form in the mouth after some dental sealants and fillings are applied. BPA can be found in the saliva three hours after dental work is completed. It's not at all clear whether this poses a health risk.
* A quick wipe and rinse of the completed dental work vastly decreases whatever risk there might be.

"We believe the high preventive benefits of sealants far outweigh the risk. So until the dental industry creates alternative materials, we recommend their continued use," Fleisch tells WebMD. "But we do recommend precautionary application techniques."