Bisphenol A: Occurrence in food and the risk to health

Polycarbonate plastics containing BPA have many food and non-food applications. Food applications include food and drink packaging, water and infant bottles, other food and liquid containers, tableware, microwave ovenware and cookware. Polycarbonate non-food applications include compact discs, impact resistant safety equipment and medical devices. Epoxy resins containing BPA are used as protective lacquers to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes. Some dental sealants and composites may also contribute to BPA exposure. It is generally accepted that the main dietary contributor of BPA is canned food, accounting for about 50% of the total exposure. Of the non-canned foods examined, meat, fish and products made from meat or fish were the more important sources of BPA^5,6.

BPA is considered an endocrine disrupting compound (EDC), defined as an exogenous substance that impacts endocrine function and leads to adverse effects. EDCs can affect the synthesis, secretion, transport, activity and elimination of hormones responsible for the regulation of functions such as reproduction (including embryonic and gonad development), growth, metabolism and behaviour. Endocrine disruption is sometimes also linked to cancer.  Numerous studies have been carried out, mostly in laboratory animals, to assess the relevance of BPA’s endocrine activities to human health. The outcomes of these experiments have proved difficult to interpret, leading to some controversy within the scientific community. In-depth reviews by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP)⁷, Health Canada^8,9, EFSA⁶ and others have concluded that the risk to human health at current exposure levels through food is negligible. EFSA concluded that a temporary TDI of 4µg/kg body weight per day was sufficiently protective of human health⁶. For comparison, the highest human dietary intake, which is in toddlers and infants, is estimated to be just below 0.9µg/kg body weight per day. A risk assessment by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on the other hand concluded that maternal exposure to BPA during pregnancy may be a risk factor⁵.

The 2015 EFSA Opinion highlighted an incomplete understanding of the effects of BPA on various toxicological outcomes, including effects on the reproductive, mammary gland, neurobehavioural, immune and metabolic systems⁶. The US Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity run by the NTP (NTP-CLARITY) is carrying out a two-year study that is expected to address most of the remaining uncertainties. Meanwhile, in expectation of the NTP-CLARITY report, EFSA has prepared a Bisphenol A Hazard Assessment Protocol¹⁰, which sets out the methodology to be used for updating its hazard assessment once the new findings become available. In addition, the proposed assessment will consider studies concluded post 2013 that were not considered in the 2015 EFSA Opinion.

The Commission has published a new Regulation, Commission Regulation No. 2018/213¹¹, that significantly tightens the restrictions on the use of BPA in food contact materials. It lowers the regulatory limit i.e. the specific migration limit (SML), which is the amount allowed to migrate from the plastic material into food while keeping it safe, and extends this restriction to coating materials that are used to line food and drink cans. As a precautionary measure, the Regulation also extends the ban from 2011 on the use of BPA in baby bottles by prohibiting the use of BPA to manufacture infant 'sippy' cups as well as the migration of BPA from coated materials containing food intended for infants and children up to 3 years old. The new Regulation applies from 6 September 2018. The international regulation of BPA is not harmonized with some countries, notably France and Sweden, restricting BPA beyond EFSA’s recommendations.