Scientific studies rarely make for great marketing brochures, but recent warnings about the chemical compound bisphenol A or BPA -- found in plastics used to make everything from sippy cups and baby bottles to cooking spoons -- is helping spur blockbuster sales for some savvy retailers.
Last month the National Toxicology Program, an office of the National Institutes of Health, said that BPA might cause ``neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures.''
While the report also said the issue needed more study, it has helped fuel an avalanche of interest in the issue.
Last month Canada banned BPA from children's products -- citing other studies, and Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, said it will do the same in all its U.S. stores by 2009.
The warnings have meant a big boost in business for Boca Raton-based Born Free. Founded in 2006, Born Free uses glass and specialty plastic resins to produce a BPA-free line of baby products.
Available at more than 1,000 retail outlets, including Whole Foods and Babies ''R'' Us, a three-pack of Born Free bottles starts at $27, making it a premium brand.
But that hasn't been slowing sales, said Ron Vigdor, president of Born Free and father of two. The company's Israel-based factories are running 24 hours a day and the company is bringing in new shipments daily, but it still cannot keep up with demand, he said.
Born Free, which has about 20 local employees, does not discuss revenue or volume, but Vigdor said the company's annual sales projections need to be adjusted upward ''threefold to fivefold'' to accurately reflect demand.
''Let me put it this way,'' Vigdor said. ``One year ago we had two telephone lines; five months ago we had six, and now we have 12 lines, and most of the time I still have to use my cellphone to make a phone call.''
Born Free isn't the only firm seeing a BPA-induced bump in sales.
BabyUniverse.com, an online retailer, said demand for bottles, microwave sterilizers and other BPA-free products has increased 30 percent in the past few weeks. The company also added a BPA section to its website to keep up with customers' questions.
Babies ''R'' Us -- part of the Toys ''R'' Us chain, which carries 20 styles of BPA-free bottles -- said sales have increased fivefold over last year. The store is also planning to implement its own BPA bottle ban by year's end.
The chemical hasn't always been so vilified. BPA has been used in the plastic industry for more than three decades and can be found in everyday items such as CD cases and bicycle helmets. Any item that has the number seven stamped inside recycling arrows, likely contains some BPA.
But it's the plastic's use in food containers, such as reusable water bottles and the linings of food cans, that have some experts worried.
While the products are generally safe, particularly for adults, some research has shown that when the items are heated or exposed to certain types of chemicals, such as harsh cleaning agents, BPA can leach.
`CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR'
In last month's report, the National Toxicology Program cited ``a number of laboratory animal studies reporting that low-level exposure to bisphenol A during development can cause changes in behavior and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland, and the age at which females attain puberty.''
While the Food and Drug Administration maintains that BPA is safe, it is under pressure to review its findings.
Some trade groups are asking the public and retailers to let the FDA take the lead.
''Retailers should not be dictating regulation through their actions,'' said Mike Dwyer, the executive director of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, which represents more than 300 companies, including the nation's largest bottle manufacturers. ''We believe that the FDA has the sole authority to determine the safety of a product and they have been clear that it is safe and thoroughly tested,'' he said.
IMPACT IN LONG RUN
While the BPA phenomenon isn't seriously affecting the bottom line of most manufacturers, ''in the long run it will clearly have an impact,'' Dwyer said.
Michele Ready is a partner at the Miami law firm of Walton Lantaff Schroeder & Carson, and the mother of a 21-month-old daughter.
When she was shopping for plastic bottles and sip cups about a year ago, she was unaware of the concerns about BPA, and would shop differently today.
But like many mothers, Ready said she doesn't always take her shopping cues from the government.
''The FDA has failed us in the past and seems to be struggling and underfunded,'' she said. ``As parents there's the sense that we're out there on our own . . . We are just trying to be hyper-cautious.''
Even if the science is still being debated, consumers seem to have made up their minds, said Vigdor of Born Free. The company is ramping up production and hopes to capture growing interest from adults with a line of BPA-free reusable water bottles.
''I'm not a crusader,'' Vigdor said. ``But I am happy to have a business on the side of delivering safe and smart alternatives.''
