The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it would not ban the use of bisphenol A, also known as BPA, in food packaging but said it would continue research on the health effects of the widely used chemical.

Although it rejected a petition by an environmental group to outlaw the compound in food and beverage containers, the agency did not close the door on future regulation. ‘This is not a final safety determination on BPA,’ FDA spokesman Douglas Karas said. ‘There is a commitment to doing a thorough evaluation of the risk of BPA.’

Scientists are still working to determine what effects BPA, which mimics estrogen in the body, has on human health once ingested.

They know that it is metabolized quickly and that it has been shown to have negative effects in mice, including developmental and reproductive abnormalities, precancerous changes in the prostate and breasts, and other health problems. In epidemiological studies, researchers have reported correlations between BPA levels in people and higher risk of ailments including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver problems.

The FDA said the scientific evidence presented in the Natural Resources Defense Council’s 2008 petition ‘was not sufficient to persuade’ the agency to prohibit BPA in food packaging. […]