I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6269 
To ban the use of bisphenol A in food containers and the replacement 
of bisphenol A in such containers with unsafe alternatives, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 
Ms. MENG (for herself and Mr. TED LIEU of California) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To ban the use of bisphenol A in food containers and the 
replacement of bisphenol A in such containers with un-
safe alternatives, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ban Poisonous Addi-
tives Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. BAN ON USE OF BISPHENOL A IN FOOD AND BEV-
ERAGE CONTAINERS. 
(a) TREATMENT OF BISPHENOL A AS ADULTER-
ATING THE FOOD OR BEVERAGE.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—For purposes of applying 
section 402(a)(6) of the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 342(a)(6)), a food con-
tainer (which for purposes of this Act includes a 
beverage container) that is composed, in whole or in 
part, of bisphenol A, or that can release bisphenol 
A into food (as defined for purposes of the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act), shall be treated as 
a container described in such section (relating to 
containers composed, in whole or in part, of a poi-
sonous or deleterious substance which may render 
the contents injurious to health). 
(2) APPLICABILITY.— 
(A) REUSABLE FOOD CONTAINERS.—Para-
graph (1) shall apply to reusable food con-
tainers on the date that is 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
(B) OTHER
FOOD
CONTAINERS.—Para-
graph (1) shall apply to any food container that 
is packed with food and is introduced or deliv-
ered for introduction into interstate commerce 
on or after the date that is 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) WAIVER.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, after public 
notice and opportunity for comment, may grant to 
any facility (as that term is defined in section 415 
of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
U.S.C. 350d)) that manufactures, processes, packs, 
holds, or sells the particular food product or prod-
ucts, a waiver of the treatment described in sub-
section (a). 
(2) APPLICABILITY.—A waiver granted to a fa-
cility under paragraph (1) may only be applicable to 
a certain type of food container or containers, as 
used for a particular food product or group of simi-
lar products containing similar foods. 
(3) REQUIREMENT
FOR
WAIVER.—The Sec-
retary may only grant a waiver under paragraph (1) 
to a facility, if such facility— 
(A) demonstrates that it is not techno-
logically feasible to— 
(i) replace bisphenol A in the certain 
type of container or containers for such 
particular food product or products; or 
(ii) use an alternative container that 
does not contain bisphenol A for such par-
ticular food product or products; and 
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(B) submits to the Secretary a plan and 
timeline for removing bisphenol A from such 
type of container or containers for that food 
product or products. 
(4) LABELING.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Any product for which 
the Secretary grants such a waiver shall display 
a prominent warning on the label that the con-
tainer 
contains 
bisphenol 
A 
that 
states, 
‘‘bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that can 
leach into food and may harm prenatal develop-
ment and the health of children and adults’’. 
(B) 
ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENT.—The 
prominent warning required under subpara-
graph (A) shall include information to ensure 
adequate public awareness of potential health 
effects associated with bisphenol A. 
(5) DURATION.— 
(A) INITIAL WAIVER.—Any waiver granted 
under paragraph (1) to a facility for a food con-
tainer or containers shall be valid for not longer 
than 1 year after the date on which subsection 
(a) is applicable to such food container or con-
tainers. 
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(B) RENEWAL OF WAIVER.—The Secretary 
may renew any waiver granted under paragraph 
(1) for periods of not more than 1 year, pro-
vided that the Secretary reaffirms that it is not 
technologically feasible to replace bisphenol A in 
such type of container or containers for such 
particular food product or products or use an 
alternative container that does not contain 
bisphenol A for such particular food product or 
products. 
(c) SUBSTANCES USED TO REPLACE BISPHENOL 
A.—The Secretary shall, to the extent possible, promote, 
facilitate, and incentivize the use of safer alternatives to 
replace bisphenol A, and as such bisphenol A shall not 
be replaced in food containers with substances that— 
(1) are known or are likely human carcinogens; 
(2) have been found by the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and 
toxic; 
(3) cause reproductive or developmental tox-
icity; or 
(4) are endocrine disrupting chemicals. 
(d) REEXAMINATION
OF APPROVED FOOD ADDI-
TIVES, EFFECTIVE FOOD CONTACT SUBSTANCE NOTIFI-
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CATIONS, AND SUBSTANCES THAT ARE GENERALLY REC-
OGNIZED AS SAFE.— 
(1) PLAN AND SCHEDULE.—Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, after 
opportunity for comment, the Secretary, acting 
through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall 
publish a plan and schedule for the selection of sub-
stances under paragraph (2) and the review of sub-
stances under paragraph (5). 
(2) SELECTION
OF
SUBSTANCES.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act 
and not less than once every 3 years thereafter, the 
Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of Food 
and Drugs, shall, based on the factors under para-
graph (4), select substances to review under para-
graph (5). Such selection shall be made from 
among— 
(A) substances authorized as a food addi-
tive under any regulations issued under section 
409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 
Act (21 U.S.C. 348); 
(B) substances that are the subject of any 
sanction or approval as described in section 
201(s)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cos-
metic Act (21 U.S.C. 321(s)(4)); 
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(C) substances that are the subject of an 
effective food contact substance notification, as 
described in section 409(h) of the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
348(h)); 
(D) substances that are generally recog-
nized as safe, as listed in part 182 of title 21, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
regulations); 
(E) direct food substances affirmed as gen-
erally recognized as safe, as listed in part 184 
of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 
successor regulations); and 
(F) indirect food substances affirmed as 
generally recognized as safe, as listed in part 
186 of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
any successor regulations). 
(3) NOTICE AND COMMENT.—The selection of 
substances under paragraph (2) shall be subject to 
notice and comment. 
(4) PRIORITIES.—In selecting substances under 
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall take into consid-
eration the following factors: 
(A) Whether, based on new scientific infor-
mation, the Secretary determines that there is 
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a possibility that there is no longer a reasonable 
certainty that no harm will result from aggre-
gate exposure to such substance through food 
containers composed, in whole or in part, of 
such substance, taking into consideration— 
(i) potential adverse effects from low 
dose exposure; and 
(ii) the effects of exposure on vulner-
able human populations. 
(B) Whether, since the introduction of 
such substance into interstate commerce, there 
has been a significant increase in the amount of 
such substance found in— 
(i) sources of drinking water; or 
(ii) products that are likely to be used 
by vulnerable human populations. 
(C) Whether such substance has been ap-
proved by the Food and Drug Administration to 
be used in the lining of canned food. 
(5) REVIEW OF SUBSTANCES AND SECRETARIAL 
DETERMINATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date on which a substance is selected 
under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall deter-
mine whether there is a reasonable certainty 
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that no harm will result from aggregate expo-
sure to such substance, taking into consider-
ation— 
(i) potential adverse effects from low 
dose exposure; and 
(ii) the effects of exposure on vulner-
able human populations. 
(B) NOTICE AND COMMENT.—The deter-
mination made under subparagraph (A) shall be 
subject to notice and comment. 
(6) REMEDIAL ACTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Upon a determination 
under paragraph (5) that there is not a reason-
able certainty that no harm will result from ag-
gregate exposure to a substance through food 
containers composed, in whole or in part, of 
such substance— 
(i) if the substance is not defined as 
a food contact substance under the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the sub-
stance shall be subject to subsections 
(a)(3) and (h) of section 409 of the Fed-
eral Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
U.S.C. 348(a)(3) and (h)), subject to the 
process under subparagraph (B); 
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