"Scientists and lawyers are scheduled to debate the safety of certain 'BPA-free' plastics this week in a U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas."

"At issue is whether a line of plastic resins marketed by Eastman Chemical contains chemicals that can act like the hormone estrogen, and perhaps cause health problems.

The court battle has attracted attention because the Eastman resins, sold under the name "Tritan," have been marketed as an alternative to plastics that contain an additive called BPA. BPA has been shown to act a bit like estrogen, though it's not clear whether people are affected by the small amounts that come from plastic water bottles or food containers."

Jon Hamilton reports for NPR's Shots blog July 15, 2013. [2]