No need to change BPA guidelines, says EFSA
Following a comprehensive review of recent scientific literature and studies on the toxicity of bisphenol A at low doses, EU food safety watchdog EFSA says it sees no need to cut the official limit on accepted exposure to bisphenol A, a chemical in plastic containers which some experts believe may harm human health.
Some European countries have sought to lower bisphenol A (BPA) intake after several recent scientific studies linked exposure to increased risk of health problems such as heart disease, breast cancer and diabetes.
“Scientists concluded that ‘they could not identify any new evidence which would lead them to revise the current tolerable daily intake (TDI)’,” according to an EFSA statement.
BPA is a mass-produced chemical used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics. It’s found in plastic food and drink packaging, and as an epoxy resin in canned food and drinks and storage containers.
EFSA experts have acknowledged that some recent studies showed biochemical changes in the central nervous system, effects on the immune system and enhanced susceptibility to breast cancer in animals exposed to BPA at doses well below those used to determine the current TDI.
However, EFSA goes on to say that such studies have many shortcomings, and their relevance for human health cannot be assessed at present – but that experts would reconsider this opinion should any new relevant data become available in the future.
