The debate on the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) continues, a new report from the Investor Env Health Network (IEHN) says the market for alternatives to the chemical in food contact uses such as baby bottles & water bottles is exploding. IEHN is a coalition of investment managers who collectively handle over $41BN in assets & are working to encourage companies to adopt safer chemical policies to enhance shareholder value. "Companies monitoring emerging SCIENCE & taking strategic steps in advance of slow government regulatory processes appear to clearly have the competitive edge as "first movers" in the marketplace," IEHN's BPA market analysis says. Spurred on by Canada's decision in April that BPA is a "dangerous substance" & its proposal to ban the chemical in baby bottles, retailers Wal-Mart & Toys "R" Us announced plans to phase out bottles containing BPA. Manufacturers have followed suit. Playtex has announced its products will be BPA-free by the end of the year. Nalgene has shifted to BPA-free water bottles "in response to consumer demand." Handi-Craft Company, makers of Dr. Brown's Natural products, has expanded its baby bottle line to include glass and propylene bottles. Smaller companies had already started to shift before Canada's announcement, according to the report.
