EU Moves Closer to Possible Ban on BPA in Food Contact Materials

On June 12, 2024, an EU Member States expert committee voted in support of a European Commission proposal to ban some bisphenols, including bisphenol A (BPA), in food contact materials. 

The restriction proposed by the European Commission would effectively ban from the manufacture and marketing of food contact materials those containing BPA or other carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic, and endocrine-disrupting bisphenols. The ban would cover plastic and coated packaging, but also other types of products like food processing equipment.

The proposal follows a different ban that was enacted six years prior prohibiting BPA in drinking bottles and containers for infants and children, as well as its use in other consumer products like receipt paper. The new, proposed ban will apply in particular to food and drink cans, kitchenware, tableware, and food contact articles used in professional food production.

Next, the European Parliament and the Council will assess the proposal. If there is no opposition, the ban could be adopted by the end of 2024, with implementation periods of up to three years.

The proposed ban is based on the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) recent lowering of its tolerable daily intake (TDI) for BPA. EFSA’s current opinion on the TDI for BPA is grounded in a nontraditional risk assessment process, which has drawn both support and dissent from the global scientific community.