“Bisphenol A is a silent weapon for a silent war on Humanity!”
– John Blacker,
RINF Science Correspondent
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) re-evaluation of Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and toxicity states that BPA, an endocrine disruptor, poses no health risk to consumers of any age group at current exposure levels.
EFSA, which carries the scientific risk assessment on behalf of the EU, says exposure from a diet, or from a combination of sources such as a diet, dust, cosmetics and thermal paper, is considerably under the safe level, also known as the ‘tolerable daily intake’ (TDI).
BPA is a chemical compound used in the manufacture of food contact materials such as re-usable plastic tableware and can coatings. Another widespread use of BPA is in thermal paper commonly used in cash register receipts.
Residues of BPA can migrate into food and beverages and be ingested by the consumer, and other sources include thermal paper, cosmetics and dust can be absorbed through the skin and by inhalation.
Although new data have led EFSA’s experts to considerably reduce the safe level of BPA from 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day to four, the highest estimates for dietary exposure, or via a combination of sources, are three to five times lower than the new TDI.