The European Union has reassessed the public health risks of bisphenol A in food

On 19 April 2023, the European Union Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced that the EU Group on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing AIDS (CEP) had reassessed the public health risks of bisphenol A. After an evaluation, the CEP panel concluded that the likelihood of direct genotoxic harm from BPA is very low. Based on animal data and the results of observational studies in humans, the immune system has been determined to be the most sensitive to BPA exposure, and there are health concerns in humans from dietary exposure to BPA.

Bisphenol A, known as Bisphenol A (BPA), is white powder or flake crystal. BPA is mainly used in the production of polycarbonate, epoxy resin and other polymer materials. Polycarbonate is commonly used in food contact packaging materials such as recyclable beverage bottles, baby bottles, tableware, storage cans, microwave heating boxes, sports kettles and household water pipes; Epoxy resins are often used in the lining of cans, metal cover lining of glass jam and the lining of large domestic water storage towers. BPA is a kind of endocrine disruptor with estrogen-like activity, which may induce precocious puberty or cancer in children.

Food is the main route through which humans ingest BPA. Polycarbonate and epoxy resins, when used in food containers, may cause BPA to escape and migrate into food, where it can be ingested into the body. Plastic baby bottles and children's tableware are also made of polycarbonate and epoxy resins, which may cause BPA to be released from the containers when they come into contact with hot water.

The EU banned the use of BPA in baby bottles from March 1, 2011, and banned the import of such plastic bottles from June 1, 2011.

In February 2018, the European Union revised the BPA control requirements in food contact materials: the specific migration limit of BPA in food contact varnishes or paints was revised to not exceed 0.05 mg/kg, and the migration limit of BPA in food varnishes or paints for infants and young children was not allowed. The migration limit of BPA in food contact plastics was reduced from 0.6 mg/kg to 0.05 mg/kg, and should not be used in the manufacture of polycarbonate bottles for infants, polycarbonate drinking cups or bottles for infants and young children. Operators are required to ensure that varnishes and coating materials and articles must be accompanied by a written declaration of conformity, which shall be provided at all stages except the retail stage of manufacturing, processing and distribution.

In 2006, EFSA set the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of BPA at 50 μg/kg bw/day, and in 2010, EFSA again determined the safety of a TDI of 50 μg/kg bw/day. In 2015, EFSA reissued its assessment report and set the provisional Allowable daily intake (t-TDI) at 4 μg/kg bw/day. In December 2021, EFSA released a draft TDI to further reduce BPA, lowering the t-TDI set in 2015 from 4 μg/kg bw/day to 0.04 ng/kg bw/day.

The EU's reassessment of the public health risks of BPA in food may lead to another adjustment of the TDI requirements for BPA.