It appears it's only a matter of time until Health Canada announces that bisphenol A is officially classified as a toxic and potentially dangerous chemical and Canadian retailers are already taking action. Several companies responded to the claim and have decided to yank products containing the chemical - commonly used in polycarbonate plastic  -from store shelves.

Sporting goods retailer Forzani Group Ltd., has said it will replace all water bottles containing BPA with non-toxic alternatives. Canadian Tire, Mark's Work Wearhouse and PartSource locations will also remove plastic water bottles, as well as food storage containers that have BPA. The Bay and Zellers - both of them owned by the Hudson's Bay Co. - will follow suit and offer customers refunds on products they have purchased that will no longer be sold due to their bisphenol A content. 

Yesterday the Globe and Mail reported that an announcement from Health Canada regarding the risk of bisphenol A was imminent, and would allow use of the chemical to be restricted. No other country has yet taken such extreme measures regarding the use of BPA in products that are used for food and beverages. In fact, the U.S. is only in the preliminary stages of evaluating the effects of the chemical.

Independent studies have linked BPA to the premature onset of puberty in girls, as well as to breast cancer, obesity and infertility. Though some countries seem wary of jumping on the bandwagon just yet, one has to wonder where the reluctance is coming from. Animal and test-tube experiments have linked low exposure to the chemical to illnesses including cancer. Research funded by the industry have not had the same findings, though often times animals were exposed to the chemical through injections, which is not believed to yield valid results since most humans come in contact with it orally.

Unfortunately while other countries drag their heels, more and more people are consistently exposed to chemical, which in all likelihood, will eventually prove to be detrimental to the health of humans. So please, by all means take your time. In the meantime, consumers will just have to fend for themselves and make a decision about BPA for themselves since intervention in other parts of the world doesn't appear to be on the horizon anytime soon.

» Globe and Mail