The California Assembly has passed a bill to ban the plastic additive Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used as a liner in food and beverage cans and in hard plastic containers like baby bottles and cups.  The bill would ban BPA by January 2012 in feeding products for children under the age of three, and in all infant formula by July 2012.

The bill will next return to the Senate, which previously passed its own version, for a reconciliation vote.  If passed, it will go to the governor to be signed into law.

A number of special interest groups continue to fight the ban, including the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the California Chamber of Commerce.

BPA has been in the spotlight recently after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) voiced concerns about the chemical’s potential effects on brain, behavior, early puberty, risk of breast and prostate cancer and other problems, especially for exposed infants and small children.  The NIH has designated $30 million to fund additional BPA research and in the meantime, the FDA is advising manufacturers to take reasonable steps to reduce BPA exposure.

For the full story, go to the San Jose Mercury News.