Statement on Potential Conflict of Interest Surrounding BPA Decision at FDA

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) issued the following statement on the undisclosed $5 million donation to the University of Michigan Risk Science Center headed by the chairman of a Food and Drug Administration panel subcommittee, Martin Philbert. The donation, 50 times the Center's annual budget, came from a retired medical supply manufacturer who considers bisphenol A (BPA) to be safe. The FDA science board is scheduled to meet later this month, to review Philbert's subcommittee's assessment that products made with BPA are safe.

"This 'donation' is very disturbing and it is a defining snapshot of why the FDA is failing to protect the public health - the inadequate conflict of interest standards for scientific advisory panels, the acceptance of unverified industry data, and the reluctance to consider independent science that industry would oppose. The disturbing result of this equation is that consumers lose.

"At the very least, Mr. Philbert's role in determining the safety of BPA should be re-evaluated. If FDA fails to address this issue, I would urge Mr. Philbert to recuse himself from any FDA proceedings related to evaluating BPA."

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