Mia Malan: Mail & Guardian

HEALTH Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has outlawed baby bottles containing the controversial chemical bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA. Last week, Motsoaledi signed a document containing regulations declaring the illegality of the "manufacture, importation, exportation and sale" of infant bottles containing BPA. The relevant regulations were published in the October 21 Government Gazette and took immediate effect. The step against BPA is a first for an African country. The Cancer Association of South Africa has started to offer BPA-free baby bottles in exchange for those that contain the chemical at its offices countrywide. BPA is a building block from which polycarbonate plastic is made. It creates hard, clear and shatterproof plastic - ideal for baby bottles. However, according to international health authorities, the chemical is also a "hormone disrupter" and "mimics" the female hormone oestrogen. They say BPA can cause negative "changes" in foetuses and infants. The Health Department's food control director, Andries Pretorius, said that at this stage government was not aware of any South African companies manufacturing plastic with BPA. He said the state would therefore concentrate on ¬training port ¬customs officials of the provincial health departments to prevent BPA baby bottle imports from entering the country. Pretorius added that environmental health practitioners employed by ¬municipalities would in future also inspect stores that sell baby bottles to determine if they were adhering to the BPA ban. He insisted that if any bottles containing the substance were ¬identified in stores they would be confiscated and disposed of. Although the legislation only refers to baby bottles, the Health Department will also encourage outlets not to sell "sippy cups" and food bowls containing the -chemical. In the past three years, the European Union, Canada, France, as well as the American states of New York and California, have taken similar steps against BPA. China, once the world's leading manufacturer of BPA baby ¬bottles, outlawed production in June, and banned imports and sales of products containing the substance last month. Malaysia has announced it will implement a "total BPA ban" in March next year.