Minnesota Bans BPA In Baby Bottles, Sippy Cups

Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, baby bottles and sippy cups destined for sale in Minnesota must be BPA-free. Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a bill into law last week that bans the use of BPA (bisphenol-A) in food containers intended for children under age three. Though the scientific jury is still out on BPA's safety, Minnesota's government is erring on the side of caution, as Canada did with an all-out ban on BPA last year.

Beginning Jan. 1, manufacturers can't sell bottles or sippy cups that contain BPA in Minnesota. Retailers have an additional year to make their bottle and sippy cup shelves BPA-free.

Though Minnesota is the first U.S. state to ban BPA in baby products, others also seek to limit babies' exposure to BPA via legislation. Connecticut and California both have BPA legislation pending. Chicago's City Council also recently voted to ban BPA in bottles, sippy cups and food containers for children under three, and Suffolk County, N.Y. adopted a similar ban earlier in 2009.