Bisphenol A in Food Packaging: the EFSA Opinion

As we have already dealt with in the article "Polymeric coatings for metal food packaging" the massive use of pre-packaged food products, whether they are with metal, plastic or of other materials, raises the question of possible chemical substances, potentially dangerous for human health, that could be generated inside the package.

Some of these substances can be generated by the transferring effect of the packaging materials towards the food, others concern the release of chemical substances that are generated by the food itself due to the packaging.

Indeed, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reviewed the risks of Bisphenol A (BPA) in food by proposing to significantly lower the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) compared to that of its previous assessment in 2015.

EFSA's new conclusions on BPA are set out in a draft scientific opinion available for public consultation until 22 February 2022. All interested parties are invited to participate.

The TDI is the estimate of the quantity of a substance (expressed in relation to body weight in kg) that can be ingested daily throughout one's existence without worthy risks of note.

In its 2015 BPA risk assessment, EFSA established a temporary TDI of 4 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day.

In its draft BPA from scratch, published today, EFSA's Expert Group on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP group) established a TDI of 0.04 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per day.

The lowering of the TDI is the result of the evaluation of studies that appeared in the literature from 2013 to 2018, in particular those that highlight adverse effects of BPA on the immune system: in animal studies an increase in the number of "T-helper" cells has been observed, a type of white blood cell which plays a fundamental role in cellular immune mechanisms and which, if increased, can lead to the development of allergic lung inflammation.

Comparing the new TDI with estimates of consumer exposure to BPA via diet, EFSA concludes that both medium and high exposure to BPAs outperform the new TDI in all age groups, thus giving rise to health concerns.

A systematic approach

The dr. Claude Lambré, president of the CEP group, said: "This updated draft is the result of a careful evaluation lasting several years. We have applied a systematic approach to select and evaluate the available evidence.

The new scientific studies appearing in the literature have helped us to address important elements of uncertainty about the toxicity of BPA."

EFSA already assessed the safety of BPA for food contact materials in 2006 and 2015. Back then its experts only managed to establish one Temporary DGT due to some elements of uncertainty, underlining the need to fill the gaps found in the data.

Automatic translation. We apologize for any inaccuracies. Original article in Italian.

Source: EFSA