“It doesn’t matter what the FDA says”

About Bisphenol A, that is. Not surprisingly, the person quoted in this Washington Post article  didn't want his name or company (a major food processor) attached to the quote. The article is on the difficulty food processors have finding an alternative to Bisphenol A (BPa) to use for lining cans.  

And the person who doesn't care what the FDA says admits a rather cruel truth that has been seen too often in this industry: once guilty in the court of public opinion, it really does not matter what the scientific community says.

However, another truth often also comes into play: The public's memory is short. If the U.S. Food & Drug Administration decides that BPa, in the levels it is now used, is not harmful to humans, then this tempest will dissuade as quickly as it started.

No food processors want to switch to untested and often more costly materials, not as a knee-jerk reaction. The transition to other can lining materials likely will take place anyway, but industry would prefer to make the switch on its own terms.