Blogpost by Genon K. Jensen, HEAL founder and Executive Director on the need to prioritise health in the 2024 EU elections: it is time policymakers take strong and consistent action to address climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution for their constituents' benefit.
Harmful chemicals used in food contact materials can put people’s health at risk. Commenting on the European Commission’s proposal to restrict the use of bisphenol A (BPA) and other bisphenols in food contact materials, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) calls for swift action and ambition to protect health and the environment against hazardous chemicals found in food packaging.
In Europe, thousands of different chemicals are used to produce and treat food contact materials. These substances, many of which have been linked to serious health impacts, have the potential to migrate into our food and drinks.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is the most well-known and commonly used bisphenol, a type of chemical widely used in the production of food packaging. Exposure to BPA, an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) that has been classified as being toxic for reproduction, has been linked to breast cancer, infertility, early puberty, diabetes and obesity, and neurological disorders in children.