Brussels, 02/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed its opinion on bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used mainly in the manufacture of plastics and resins and already banned in babies' bottles: at this stage, the 2010 scientific opinion which confirmed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.05 mg/kg body weight still holds and does not require re-assessment. That is the gist of the statement published by EFSA on 1 December, in response to a request made by the European Commission for it to comment on possible differences of view between the EFSA opinion on BPA and the reports published in September 2011 by the French food, environment and work safety agency, Anses. Anses flagged up effects on health, confirmed in animals and suspected in humans, of even small doses of BPA (fertility problems among women, cardiovascular problems and diabetes).
Scientific experts on EFSA's Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF) consider overall that the information in the Anses report on health effects of BPA does not change the views expressed by the Panel in its 2010 opinion. The Panel explains that the work of Anses was limited to a hazard identification while EFSA has carried out a full risk assessment of BPA. The tolerable daily intake (TDI) for bisphenol A, first established by EFSA in 2006, is set to protect all human populations - including the groups most at risk, such as pregnant or breastfeeding women, babies and young children - for lifetime exposure to this substance through the diet, EFSA states.
EFSA has an ongoing programme of monitoring of scientific developments on BPA. Following a preliminary review of new literature, the CEF Panel confirms, as in 2010, that uncertainties remain about the possible relevance to human health of some BPA-related effects observed in rodents at low dose levels. The Panel will reconsider its opinion following further evaluations of new studies and after new data from low dose studies being conducted in the United States become available in 2012. EFSA is establishing a multidisciplinary working group of experts to further evaluate new scientific studies and data on bisphenol A as they become available.
Corine Lepage calls for precautionary principle to be observed. Annoyed but not surprised at the EFSA statement, MEP Corinne Lepage (ALDE, France), who is the deputy chairwoman of the European Parliament environment and health committee, is growing impatient. Lepage, who called on the Commission to take urgent action to protect vulnerable groups against the dangers to health of bisphenol A (EUROPE No 10463) states clearly that the precautionary principle must be observed.
“The Commission was right to call on EFSA to review the effect of BPA. The EFSA decision does not, unfortunately, come as a surprise to me. We have to wonder what disasters have to occur to make experts change their minds”, she said on 1 December. She went on to say that, given that EFSA acknowledges that some uncertainty remains, “I urge the Commission to apply the precautionary principle. I call on it to bring forward, as swiftly as possible, proposals to protect the most vulnerable in our society (infants, young children pregnant and breast-feeding women) and to prepare the phasing out of the use of BPA, as is already planned in France. I also call on the Commission to work with member states to launch an information campaign as part of the precautionary principle”.
The TDI is an estimate of the amount of a substance, expressed on a body weight basis that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable risk. (AN/transl.rt)