FDA To Issue Final Decision on BPA Safety Next Year

FDA will have to issue a final decision by March 31 on whether to ban the use of the chemical additive bisphenol-A, according to a settlement with the Natural Resources Defense Council. In 2008, the council petitioned FDA to ban the chemical and later sued the agency after it failed to promptly respond. The settlement -- which comes amid growing evidence that BPA is linked to a variety of health problems -- was approved by a U.S. district court judge in New York, who noted that FDA must issue a final assessment on the use of BPA, not a "tentative response."

• "FDA Agrees To Determine Safety of BPA" (ElBoghdady, Washington Post, 12/7).