After years of concerns raised by scientists, EU has banned Bisphenol A from contact with food

euronews (in English)

The European Union regulation banning the use of bisphenol A in materials that come into contact with food officially took effect on  20 January, in an attempt to minimise exposure to the harmful endocrine disruptor.

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00:00Bisphenol A is now fully banned from coming into contact with food products. As of Monday,

00:13the European Union has prohibited the use of this endocrine disruptor in food containers.

00:19This chemical, commonly found in cans, food storage containers and water bottles, can

00:24contaminate food products.

00:34Bisphenol A has been listed as a substance of very high concern under REACH, the EU flagship

00:43chemical legislation, since 2006 for its properties as toxic for reproduction and for its endocrine

00:50disrupting properties for human health since 2017. So these are the main concerns about

00:58Bisphenol A. And Bisphenol A is associated to health concerns such as breast cancer,

01:06neuro-barotrauma disorders and diabetes.

01:10The European Union is a pioneer in banning bisphenols. However, this prohibition is the

01:15result of a long scientific and political process considered too lengthy by NGOs.

01:22It has been a long-awaited decision. Scientists have been calling for the ban of bisphenols

01:28for more than a decade. There's been a report on bisphenol and the concern about bisphenols

01:33from the European Environment Agency more than a decade ago. So it's been a long process

01:41and we're hoping now that the follow-up decisions and steps for the use of bisphenols in other

01:47consumer products will come quickly.

01:51The NGO hopes the European Union will agree to broaden the ban on Bisphenol A, with the

01:56next potential target being children's toys.

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