Doyle signs state ban on BPA in children's cups

The potentially dangerous chemical Bisphenol-A will be banned in all cups sold in Wisconsin for young children under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Jim Doyle.

Wisconsin is the third state, after Minnesota and Connecticut, to pass such a ban. As more states prohibit the chemical, the more likely it is manufacturers will stop using it, Doyle said.

Six major makers of baby bottles and infant feeding cups, including Gerber and Playtex, no longer use BPA in those products in the United States. Those manufacturers account for more than 90 percent of the nation's market.

"At some point, all the manufacturers say this isn't worth it," Doyle said.

BPA is an industrial chemical widely used to harden plastic to make food and beverage containers shatterproof. Dozens of studies have linked the chemical to abnormal growths and cancerous tumors in animals, although no related health problems have been confirmed in humans.

The chemical is found in linings of food cans as well as water bottles and hundreds of other household items. More than 90 percent of Americans have traces of the chemical in their bodies, as the chemical leaches out of food containers.

The American Chemistry Council, an industry trade group that represents BPA producers including Dow Chemical Co., has said BPA is safe and has been widely used for more than half a century.

In January, the Food and Drug Administration changed its position on the chemical's safety, voicing "some concern" about its effects on children and infants.

Previously the agency had said trace amounts of the chemical that leach out of food containers are not dangerous. But Obama administration appointees agreed to reconsider that decision after scientists complained it relied on a small number of industry-sponsored studies.

The FDA has set aside $30 million for additional studies over the next two years.

The Wisconsin prohibition, which takes effect in June, applies to baby bottles and sippy cups used by children 3 years old and younger. Stores and manufacturers are required to state that the products being sold are BPA-free.

Wholesalers and manufacturers could be fined up to $5,000 and face a year in jail for breaking the law and be required to pay an additional $10,000 per violation. Retailers could face fines up to $200 for each violation

Minnesota and Connecticut passed similar bans last year. The Minnesota law also applies to those 3 and under while the Connecticut law has no age limit. Chicago also has a BPA ban applying to bottles and cups intended for those 3 and under.