Makers of plastic tableware are on the defensive as concern arises over the health threat posed by them. The reason for the safety concerns is that the plastic tableware is made with polycarbonate, which can cause a chemical compound called bisphenol A to get into food. Bisphenol A, widely used in consumer products, is suspected of interfering with the normal functions of the body's endocrine system - the glands that produce the body's hormones and possibly causing reproductive problems.