EFSA evaluation on BPA health risks
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has conducted a re-evaluation of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and toxicity and has found that at current exposure levels the chemical compound poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents). It concluded that exposure from the diet or from a combination of sources (diet, dust, cosmetics and thermal paper) is considerably under the safe level (the “tolerable daily intake” or TDI).
Despite EFSA’s experts considerably reducing the safe level of BPA from 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (µg/kg of bw/day) to 4 µg/kg of bw/day, the highest estimates for dietary exposure and for exposure from a combination of sources are three to five times lower than the new TDI.
Uncertainties surrounding potential health effects of BPA on the mammary gland, reproductive, metabolic, neurobehavioural and immune systems have been quantified and factored in to the calculation of the TDI. In addition, the TDI is temporary pending the outcome of a long-term study in rats, which will help to reduce these uncertainties.
EFSA’s experts used new methodologies to take account of the uncertainties regarding potential health effects, exposure estimates and evaluation of risks for humans. Trine Husøy, a member of EFSA’s expert panel dealing with food contact materials (CEF Panel) and chair of the BPA working group, said: “By analysing each uncertainty one by one and combining our expert judgement the Panel was able to quantify these uncertainties and to factor them in to its risk assessment and derivation of the TDI.”
For more information go to www.efsa.europa.eu