EU‐FORA Series 6
Bisphenol A and other bisphenols
Bisphenols are chemical substances used in combination with other chemicals to manufacture certain plastics and resins.
They can be used for example in polycarbonate plastic, a transparent and rigid type of plastic used to make water dispensers, food storage containers and reusable beverage bottles.
These substances is also used to produce epoxy resins found in protective coatings and linings for food and beverage cans and vats.
Chemicals such as the bisphenols used in foodstuff containers can migrate in very small amounts to the food and drinks they contain, so EFSA’s scientists may be asked to review their safety, considering new data.
Latest
EFSA is preparing a scientific output detailing the information necessary for the safety assessment of hazardous bisphenols other than BPA and their derivatives, when used in food contact materials (FCM) for specific applications. The scientific output will be a Statement complementing the current FCM Note for Guidance and related requisites. In March 2026 a public consultation was launched on the related draft. This work is part of the requirements of the Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/3190 and is being developed in collaboration with ECHA. The Statement is foreseen to be published by January 2027.
On 19 December 2024, the European Commission adopted a ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials, taking into account EFSA's latest risk assessment A specialised field of applied science that involves reviewing scientific data and studies in order to evaluate risks associated with certain hazards. It involves four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation.
In April 2023, EFSA published a re-evaluation of the safety of BPA as used in FCMs, significantly reducing the tolerable daily intake An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water which is not added deliberately (e.g contaminants) and which can be consumed over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. (TDI) set in its previous assessment in 2015.
Ongoing and completed assessments
Milestones
2023
April
EFSA publishes a scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of the risks to public health related to the presence of BPA in foodstuffs.
EFSA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) publish a joint report on EFSA's re-evaluation of BPA.
EFSA and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) publish a joint report on EFSA's re-evaluation of BPA.
January
EFSA meets with the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) to discuss EFSA’s draft scientific opinion Opinions include risk assessments on general scientific issues, evaluations of an application for the authorisation of a product, substance or claim, or an evaluation of a risk assessment on the re-evaluation of the risks to public health related to the presence of BPA in foodstuffs.
2022
November
EFSA meets with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to discuss EFSA’s draft scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of the risks to public health related to the presence of BPA in foodstuffs.
January and February
Technical meetings are held with stakeholders, Member State and international competent authorities, including the BfR and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to discuss EFSA’s draft scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of the risks to public health related to the presence of BPA in foodstuffs.
2021
December
EFSA launches a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of the risks to public health related to the presence of BPA in foodstuffs.
2020
April
EFSA publishes a technical report reviewing new toxicological and toxicokinetic studies regarding bisphenol S (BPS) and recommends further data collection on its use, occurrence The fact or frequency of something (e.g. a disease or deficiency in a population) happening and migration.
2019
November
Prior to being applied to the new BPA re‐evaluation, the study appraisal methodology described in the 2017 BPA hazard A substance or activity which has the potential to cause adverse effects to living organisms or environments assessment protocol was tested on a selection of studies. The testing phase, its outcome and the resulting refinement of the 2017 methodology is described in a scientific report: Testing the 2017 BPA study appraisal protocol methodology.
2018
September
A new EFSA working group of scientific experts starts evaluating recent toxicological data on BPA.
2017
December
EFSA’s experts endorse the scientific protocol for the re-evaluation of BPA hazards.
June
EFSA launches a public consultation on the draft BPA hazard assessment part of a risk assessment that involves identifying and characterising potential hazards associated with biological, chemical and physical agents that may be present in food protocol. Experts from Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland were appointed by their governments to take part in the protocol working group as well as four independent scientists appointed by EFSA.
2016
October
New data confirm EFSA’s previous conclusion that BPA might affect the immune system in animals, but the evidence is too limited to draw any conclusions for human health.
2015
January
EFSA publishes a new comprehensive assessment of BPA’s exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time and toxicity The potential of a substance to cause harm to a living organism. EFSA’s experts reduced the tolerable daily intake level from 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (µg/kg of bw/day) to a temporary TDI The tolerable daily intake (TDI) is an estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water which is not added deliberately (e.g contaminants) and which can be consumed over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. of 4 µg/kg of bw/day.
2011
December
EFSA publishes a statement on BPA, following a report by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES).
2010
September
EFSA publishes a new review of the latest scientific literature.
2008
July
EFSA issues further scientific advice on BPA related to its toxicokinetics The study of the processes by which potentially toxic substances are handled in the body. This involves an understanding of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of such substances.
2006
November
EFSA publishes its first risk assessment of BPA.
EFSA's role
EFSA provides scientific advice to the risk managers – the European Commission and EU Member States - on the safety of chemical substances such as BPA when used in materials which come into contact with food.
This work is carried out by EFSA's Panel on Food Contact Materials (FCM).
As part of its safety evaluations of food contact materials, EFSA establishes, where possible (i.e. when sufficient information is available), a TDI for each substance.
The TDI is an estimate of the amount of a substance that people can consume on a daily basis during their whole life without any appreciable risk to health. TDIs are expressed on a bodyweight basis.
EU framework
On 19 December 2024, the European Commission adopted a ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials, taking into account EFSA's latest risk assessment.
Use of BPA has been banned in thermal paper receipts since January 2020.
In February 2018, the EU introduced stricter limits on BPA in food contact materials, derived from the temporary tolerable daily intake set by EFSA in 2015.
BPA was banned in plastic bottles and packaging containing food for babies and children under three years from September 2018.
In January 2011, the European Commission prohibited the use of BPA in the manufacture of polycarbonate infant feeding bottles.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is also involved in the evaluation of BPA for the purposes of classification under the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation and for providing risk assessment advice in particular cases.
Bisphenols topic page – ECHA website