Defending BPA

As lawmakers from California to Capitol Hill consider banning uses of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol-A, industries that put the chemical in food and beverage cans are strategizing how to assure the public it’s safe.

Bisphenol-A has an image problem. The chemical, known as BPA, has been linked to health problems ranging from cancer to obesity. But as lawmakers from Capitol Hill to California consider banning BPA in some products, industries that use it to line the cans of food and beverages are mounting a campaign to persuade the public that BPA is safe. Lyndsey Layton, staff writer for the Washington Post, talks with host Steve Curwood about the private, strategic meeting industry executives held to defend BPA.