Baby Bottles, Nalgene® Sports Bottles and Food Containers Made with Polycarbonate Plastic

Products made with lightweight, high-performing polycarbonate plastic contribute to our safety and quality of life every day. For example, polycarbonate is used to make protective eyewear, sports safety equipment, digital media (e.g., CDs, DVDs), electronics and medical devices.

Because of its heat resistance and shatter resistance – a significant safety advantage – polycarbonate also is used in a number of applications involving direct contact with foods and beverages. Airtight polycarbonate food storage containers help preserve freshness and protect foods from contamination, and many polycarbonate food containers offer the added convenience of safely going from freezer to microwave to dishwasher. Durable, lightweight polycarbonate sports bottles (e.g., Nalgene® and other brands) enable active people to quench their thirst on the go, and polycarbonate baby bottles are among the safest, easiest and most economical ways to bottle-feed a baby.

Polycarbonate has been studied and tested for nearly 50 years, and its use in products that come in contact with food is regulated for safety by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as governmental bodies worldwide.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a key building block in polycarbonate plastic. In recent years, a number of researchers from governmental agencies, academia and industry have studied the potential for trace levels of BPA to migrate from polycarbonate products into food and beverages under conditions of typical use. Extensive safety data on BPA show that polycarbonate plastic can be used safely in consumer products.

As a result, the use of polycarbonate plastic for food-contact applications continues to be recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Commission Scientific Committee on Food, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and other regulatory authorities worldwide.

Resources and Links

• Facts on Plastic
  Get the facts about the overall safety of plastics, plastic bottles and, in particular, Bisphenol-A (BPA) which is used to make polycarbonate containers.
  
• Frequently Asked Questions: The Safety of Baby Bottles, Sports Bottles and Food Containers Made with Polycarbonate Plastic
  FAQs from the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council


• Polycarbonate and Bisphenol-A.
  Bisphenol A Global Industry Group


• Migration of Bisphenol A and Plasticizers from Plastic Feeding Utensils for Babies
  (Dutch national) Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (2005)


• European Union Risk Assessment Report Bisphenol-A (Summary or Full Report)
  European Chemicals Bureau, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (2003)


• Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food on Bisphenol A
  European Commission, Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General (2002)


• Selected questions and answers relating to bisphenol A in baby bottles
  German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (2006)


• Bisphenol A (BPA) Risk Assessment Document
  Japan National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (2006)


• BPA and Nalgene
  Nalge Nunc International


• Polycarbonate and Polycarbonate Health & Safety
  PlasticsEurope


• Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), Bisphenol A (CASRN 80-5-7)
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Last updated March 2006)