HEAL’s response to the EU Commission’s proposal to prohibit BPA and other bisphenols in food contact materials

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.  

Read HEAL’s response to the public consultation on the EU Commission’s proposal to restrict BPA and other bisphenols in food contact materials.