The substance, which has already been banned for years in baby bottles and other food containers for children under the age of three, can have harmful effects on the immune system and is a health risk for consumers of all age groups
Exposure to bisphenol A through food can have harmful effects on the immune system and is a health risk for European consumers of all age groups. These are the conclusions of a new EFSA study on the molecule used in the production of food and drink containers. Since the late 1990s, the substance has been suspected of having adverse health effects following migration into foods. Since 2017 it has been classified in the EU as a candidate for replacement and since 2018 its use has been banned in baby bottles and other food containers for children under the age of three.
Bisphenol A observed special for years
Since 2006, EFSA has periodically evaluated the safety of bisphenol A, and the latest analysis dates back to 2015. The conclusions of the study published today, carried out by examining over 800 new publications, allow the Authority to eliminate the uncertainties reported eight years ago, when he had been able to indicate a tolerable daily dose – that is, the amount of a substance that can be ingested daily for life without appreciable health risks – only temporary.
In the most recent studies, ‘we observed an increase in the percentage of T helper lymphocytes in the spleen,’ he said. Claude Lambrechairman of the EFSA expert group on materials in contact with food, which “could lead to the development of allergic pulmonary inflammation and autoimmune diseases”.
The new daily limits
EFSA was therefore able to establish the new tolerable daily intake at 0.2 nanograms (2 billionths of a gram), replacing the previous temporary level of 4 micrograms (4 millionths of a gram), per kilogram of body weight per day: about 20,000 times lower.
What is Bisphenol A and where is it found?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used predominantly in combination with other substances to make some plastics and resins. BPA, according to the EFSA website, is used for example in polycarbonate, a type of transparent and rigid plastic used to make water dispensers, storage containers and reusable beverage bottles. The substance is also used to make epoxies used in films and coatings for cans and containers for drinks and food.
Chemicals such as BPA used in food containers can migrate in minute quantities into the food and drink they contain, so EFSA scientists regularly review their safety.