CHEM Trust: UK committee recommends protective value for BPA 1000 times higher than the EU

BPA or bisphenol A has long been known to harm human and wildlife health by interfering with the endocrine system. European-wide studies show that people are constantly exposed to BPA. Health effects linked to the chemical are extensive, including chronic diseases such as breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Chronic diseases (also known as non-communicable diseases), such as cancer and heart disease, are the leading cause of death worldwide. In the UK, chronic diseases are estimated to cause 89% of deaths.

What has the EU done about exposure to BPA from food packaging?

Due to migration from food packaging exposure to BPA in food is assumed to be a major source of exposure. Based on a review of hundreds of new scientific studies, last year, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that all age groups are at risk from harmful effects of BPA in food. They set the Tolerable Daily Intake, or assumed ‘safe level’ for ingestion, to be 20,000 times lower than the previous temporary level set in 2015.

The European Commission then proposed an initiative to ban BPA and other bisphenols in food contact materials which is expected to come into force by the end of 2024. The move to ban other bisphenols in food contact materials was especially welcome, with concern having been raised by NGOs for years that companies have been substituting BPA for bisphenols with similarly harmful effects.

What is the UK doing about dietary exposure to BPA?

The Committee on Toxicity (CoT) is the scientific committee that provides advice to the UK’s Food Standards Agency. In June this year, it published its assessment of the Tolerable Daily Intake set by EFSA. The Committee disagreed with EFSA’s opinion and decided to adopt the Tolerable Daily Intake level established by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (the BfR), stating that the approach they applied was ‘more scientifically robust and appropriate’.

The differences are as follows:

  • EFSA -TDI of 0.2 ng/kg body weight per day
  • BfR/FSA -TDI of 0.2 µg/kg body weight per day

The safe level of ingestion that UK and German agencies have recommended is 1000 times higher than the level established by the European agency.

Many scientists have criticised the approach followed by the BfR and applauded EFSA for applying ‘state-of-the-art research approaches to chemical risk assessment’, having made extensive use of academic research to come to their conclusion. These scientists encourage other regulators, such as those in the UK, to make the most of modern science in chemical risk assessment.

New UK measures will likely not be as protective

Based on the opinion from COT, the UK’s Food Standards Agency has said it is likely to update current restrictions on BPA. While CHEM Trust agrees that it’s high time to tighten restrictions to reduce exposure from BPA, we are concerned that the resulting measures could still be less protective than the EU’s based on the higher level of BPA the UK regulator considers it is safe to ingest. If this does occur, this decision would be part of a broader trend of UK chemical protections falling behind the EU. For example, last year, the UK adopted a less protective approach than the EU to regulating harmful endocrine disrupting substances.

CHEM Trust asks

We are calling for the UK Government to:

To safeguard people and nature, harmful chemicals such as BPA and other bisphenols must be removed from consumer products.

Read more about our UK work here.