In an exclusive interview with FoodProductionDaily.com last week, EC health and consumer spokesman, Frederic Vincent, said the Commission wants to introduce a region-wide ban on the use of BPA in baby bottles and that it has initiated meetings with member states over the matter.
“There have been a few meetings with stakeholders and the Commission has the intention to move towards a ban of BPA in baby bottles,” EC health and consumer spokesman Frederic Vincent said.
Lisette van Vliet, toxics policy advisor at HEAL, stated that the ban should be for “all food packaging for infants under 3 years old - and it should quickly be extended to all food packaging because, if babies during pregnancy are to be protected, consumption by women of child-bearing age should be avoided."
The decision to pursue a ban on the chemical in polycarbonate baby bottles comes in the wake of an updated opinion delivered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) at the end of September.
Since then the issue appears to have been given priority by the Commission, which has convened a number of meetings with national representatives on the issue.
“At present there is no indication of what the opinion of member states will be but we know that two nations, France and Denmark, are already pushing for this," said Vincent.
The spokesman said the Commission was working on more detailed proposals and was aiming to make a decision on the issue before summer 2011.
Scientific grounds urged
Jasmin Bird, spokesperson for the PlasticsEurope Polycarbonate/Bisphenol A industry group, expressed surprise at the comments from the EC health and consumer DG in relation to BPA and a ban on its use in baby bottles, and she questioned the scientific rigour of such a move.
"PlasticsEurope would like to see the line of argument supporting such a ban. The verdict from EFSA back in September was that current safe intake levels for BPA should remain unchanged and the World Health Organization (WHO) expert meeting in Canada earlier this month concluded that it would be premature to take any action on BPA on public health grounds.
An approach grounded in sound science rather than politics is the only one that can provide consumers with the reassurance that the products they buy are safe,” said Bird.
Toxic debate
BPA is used in a range of food contact materials – including polycarbonate baby bottles and the epoxy linings of food and drinks cans. Its continued inclusion in packaging is a matter of fierce debate across the world.
While food safety authorities in both the US and Europe have said the chemical poses no health risks at current exposure levels, France and Denmark have unilaterally banned the substance in baby bottles and Canada has added it to its list toxic substances.
Industry switch
Meanwhile, companies are increasingly ditching bisphenol A (BPA) from food can linings in response to growing consumer concern over the chemical, according to a recent report from Green Century.
The study - Seeking Safer Packaging - also found industry, rather than regulators, were taking a lead in getting rid of the substance from food packaging.
The study rated companies based on their actions in eradicating BPA from their packaging. Firms such as Hain Celestial, H.J. Heinz, ConAgra were awarded an ‘A’ grade - as each had “already begun using BPA-free can linings for some products” and had set out a broad timetable to eliminate the substance from all packaging.
General Mills was given a B+ for committing to the introduction of a BPA-alternative in its canned tomatoes range but failed to receive top marks for not laying out a timeline for the rest of its products.
However, corporations such as Coca-Cola, Del Monte, Kraft and Wal-Mart were slammed by the report as “among those failing to keep pace with the industry leaders” and awarded ‘F’ grades.