The Food and Drug Administration’s long-awaited ruling on bisphenol-A (BPA), originally due in December, were finally disclosed on Jan. 15, yet the guidelines proved to be an anticlimax. The FDA declared that the safety of BPA, a chemical found in some baby bottles and as a liner in metal food and beverage cans, did not warrant a ban, but that its use merits further study.

The reactions from industry groups have been mixed. The American Chemistry Council’s response was favorable, but also noted that "some of the recommendations are likely to worry consumers and are not well-founded," according to the Los Angeles Times. The Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, expressed disappointment. “We are concerned that the new advice on reducing exposure puts the onus on consumers to protect themselves until such a ban is put in place,” says Urvashi Rangan, director of technical policy.