European Parliament Rejects Motion to Ban BPA

The European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) rejected a motion to oppose the adoption of the draft EU Regulation on the use of bisphenol A in varnishes and coatings intended to come into contact with food and amending Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 as regards the use of that substance in plastic food contact materials at its January 11, 2018 committee meeting  A copy of the draft motion is available here.

The draft Regulation proposes to reduce the specific migration limit (SML) for BPA in the Plastics Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 from 0.6 mg/kg to 0.05 mg/kg.  It will maintain the ban in the Plastics Regulation on the use of BPA in the manufacture of polycarbonate infant feeding bottles, and will expand this ban to sippy cups. It will also introduce an SML of 0.05 mg/kg on the migration of BPA from varnishes and coatings and an SML of non-detect (detection limit = 0.01 mg/kg) where those varnishes and coatings are intended to applied on materials and articles specifically intended to come into contact with infant formula, follow-on formula, processed cereal-based food, baby food, or food for special medical purposes developed to satisfy the nutritional requirements of infants and young children or milk-based drinks and similar products specifically intended for young children.  (A copy of the draft regulation and annex can be accessed on the EC’s website.)  The Regulatory procedure with scrutiny will end on January 28, 2018.  After that date, the EC may proceed to adopt the draft Regulation if the Council does not object.