Food Industry Threatens To Kill Food Safety Bill If BPA Ban Included

"The food industry and major business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are threatening to withdraw support for a long-pending bill to improve food safety, saying they are upset by a proposed amendment that would ban bisphenol-A, a controversial chemical, from food and beverage containers.

The bill is the Senate version of legislation passed overwhelmingly by the House last year. It is designed to give the Food and Drug Administration vast new regulatory authority over food production and place greater responsibility on manufacturers and farmers to produce food free from contamination. It had broad bipartisan support and backing from the White House, and it was expected to come to the Senate floor before the Memorial Day recess.

But in a letter to Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), the chairman and ranking minority member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, the business groups said last week that they oppose an amendment by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would ban bisphenol-A, or BPA, from food and beverage containers.

'We will not support food safety legislation that bans or phases out BPA from any food and beverage container,' said Scott Faber, vice president for federal affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents food companies and retailers. "

Lyndsey Layton reports for the Washington Post April 26, 2010.