Brussels, 25/02/2011 (Agence Europe) -Tuesday 1 March will be a red letter day for infant health and the application of the precautionary principle. On that date, a ban will be introduced on the manufacture in the European Union of baby bottles containing Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical component of plastics and polycarbonate resins (see EUROPE 10265). Some recent studies have indicated that BPA can have an impact on the immune system or provoke tumours.
The ban in baby feeding bottles is imposed in EU Directive 2011/8/EU, which amends Directive 2002/72/EC. From June 1, however, the placing on the market and import into the EU of baby bottles containing BPA, will also be banned. Meanwhile, the industry is voluntarily withdrawing from the market baby bottles containing BPA and replacing them with safer products. This voluntary action is expected to be completed by mid 2011.
John Dalli, Commissioner in charge of Health and Consumer Policy, said: “Due to the fact that there are uncertainties concerning the harmfulness of the exposure of infants to Bisphenol A, the Commission deemed it both necessary and appropriate to take action. The aim is to further reduce the exposure of the most vulnerable part of our population - i.e. the infants - to the substance thus safeguarding their health”.
BPA has until now been allowed in materials which are in contact with foodstuffs, under European directive 2002/72/EC. Small amounts of BPA can be released from plastic containers into the food they carry - in the case of baby bottles that would be infant formula - if these containers are heated to high temperatures. Infants are still developing their system for eliminating BPA during the first six months of their lives. Their exposure to the substance is at its highest during this period especially if infant formula is their only source of nutrition as this is administered through baby bottles, explains the European Commission.
The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) delivered its opinion in September 2010. It concluded that Bisphenol A is safe up to a daily intake of 0.05 miligrams per kilogram of bodyweight. The exposure of all groups of the population is below this limit. However EFSA panel also raised some questions with respect to the possible impact of BPA on infants, in particular, and concluded that this required further attention until more robust data on the areas of uncertainty become available. It was the temporary ban on BPA being used in baby bottles, introduced by Denmark in March 2010, followed by France later in the year, which led the Commission to seek the advice of the. (A.N./transl.flt)