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Bisphenols | Bisphenol A, F, and S

Bisphenols are used, among other things, in the production of food contact materials made of polycarbonate plastics (e.g., tableware, reusable beverage bottles, storage containers, formerly also in baby bottles), in the coating of cans with epoxy resins (e.g., canned fish or meat), in the production of thermal paper, or in toys. In addition to bisphenol A (BPA), other bisphenols are also used here. These include compounds with variable functional groups between 2 phenol rings, such as bisphenol F and S. This is a concern as BPS is also suspected of damaging human reproductive and hormonal systems. Many bisphenols may damage fertility and disrupt the hormonal systems of both people and animals. They may also cause skin allergies.

Bisphenol A

BPA was classified as: 

  • 2016: Toxic to reproduction by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • 2017: “Substance of very high concern (SVHC)” under REACH and identified as an endocrine disruptor. 

In high doses (approx. 100x the total daily intake, TDI = tolerable dose of an active ingredient that is considered safe for human health in case of lifelong daily intake), BPA is also suspected of causing acute damage to the kidneys and liver.

Health Concerns about Exposure to Bisphenol

Bisphenols can migrate from food contact materials into food and beverages. In addition, due to their ubiquitous occurrence in the environment, bisphenol A can seep into the soil and thus contaminate drinking water. This can cause adverse health effects, in the form of:

  • Disruption of hormonal processes as an endocrine disruptor
  • Impairment of reproductive health in children, men, and women
  • Increase in various health risks such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breast and prostate cancer, and asthma
  • Negative impact on fetal brain development during pregnancy
  • Impact on the kidneys and liver in case of intensive exposure

Analysis of Bisphenol A, F, and S

Following the reduction of the TDI value by a factor of 20,000 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in April 2023, Mérieux NutriSciences utilized highly qualified experts and state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation to develop a new and highly sensitive determination method in the ultra-trace range for BPA.

With our new method, we can support you in checking the marketability and safety of your product for consumption or the products of your suppliers. With step controls, we help you to identify entry routes for BPA in your production process. We also help you optimize the process.

The use of BPA as a monomer in the manufacture of plastic food contact materials and articles is authorised by Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. This use, as well as its presence in food contact varnishes and coatings, is subject to a specific migration limit (SML) of 0,05 mg of BPA per kg of food (mg/kg), set in Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/213 on the basis of an opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) published in 2015.

Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/3190 of 19 December 2024 on the use of bisphenol A (BPA)

Our validated and accredited matrix groups:

Bisphenol F and S, which are increasingly being used as substitutes for BPA, can also be determined in the ultra-trace range using our method. For food contact materials, in addition to direct content determination, we also offer various migration tests with different simulants (e.g., Tenax, olive oil).

Toxicological Evaluation of BPA in the EU

In 2006, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published the first recommendation for a TDI value: 50 µg/kg body weight per day. 

In subsequent years, experts published several reassessments of the toxicology of BPA:

  • 2015, setting the provisional TDI at 4 µg/kg body weight per day
  • April 2023, a significant reduction of the TDI to 0.2 ng/kg body weight per day

EFSA reduced the TDI value by a factor of 20,000. According to current EFSA data on dietary exposure to BPA, the new TDI is exceeded in all age groups at moderate as well as high exposure, although the overall intake of BPA is considered to be decreasing. EFSA justifies the sharp reduction in the TDI value with new findings on possible effects of BPA on the immune system. 

So far, maximum levels exist only for migration from toys, plastics, thermal paper, and drinking water, and there are also use bans for thermal paper, baby drinking bottles, and cosmetics. However, maximum levels will likely be set for other products in the coming years as a consequence of this year’s lowering of the TDI value.

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Contaminants & Residues
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