On January 17, 2014 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published the scientific opinion on the assessment of risks to human health of bisphenol A (BPA) and recommended that the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 50 µg/kg body weight (bw)/day should be lowered to 5 µg/kg bw/day. Awaiting the findings of research carried out by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) which are to be expected in 2015, the newly proposed TDI should be set on a temporary basis. EFSA reviewed 450 studies to evaluate the risk posed to public health by BPA. In the opinion, EFSA’s Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF) in charge of the assessment concludes that adverse effects on the liver, kidney and mammary gland caused by BPA are likely. The panel recommends further investigation to confirm the occurrence of non-monotonic dose responses; low dose effects are not considered likely effects, but were nevertheless considered in the risk characterization. On July 25, 2013 EFSA published the first part of the BPA risk assessment, which estimated highest aggregate exposure levels in teenagers at 1543 ng/kg bw/day and highest dietary exposure at 857 ng/kg bw/day in toddlers (previously reported on by the FPF). Based on this earlier assessment, EFSA concludes in the present opinion that the level of environmental BPA exposure can be considered safe for consumers. Stakeholders are invited to comment on the scientific opinion until March 13, 2014.
Read more
EFSA (January 17, 2014). “Bisphenol A: EFSA consults on assessment of risks to human health.”
FPF article “EFSA publishes draft BPA opinion, part I”
Reference
CEF (2014). “Draft Scientific Opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence
of bisphenol A (BPA) in foodstuffs.” EFSA Journal (published online January 20, 2014).
