Industry awaits decision on BPA as EU health bodies disagree on safe levels

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recommended a 20,000-fold reduction in the ‘tolerable daily intake’ or safe level, of bisphenol A (BPA). However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has stated that there isn’t enough evidence at this stage to warrant such a reduction.

The chemical, which has been identified as an endocrine disruptor, is used to make polycarbonate plastics – used in food storage containers and drinks bottles – and epoxy resins, used to line food and drinks cans. However, BPA can migrate from packaging to the food within, but the last time the EFSA assessed exposure levels to BPA in 2015 (based on then available data) it concluded they didn’t pose a health risk.