The Directorate - General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante) of the EU announced on July 18, 2023, that it will ban the intentional addition of bisphenol A (BPA) and its related substances, including bisphenol S, bisphenol F, and 2,2 - bis(4′ - hydroxyphenyl) - 4 - methylpentane, etc. in food - contact materials. This ban is based on the latest safety assessment of BPA by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The ban is expected to come into effect in the spring of 2024, with an 18 - month transition period.

In a safety assessment report released on April 23, 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of BPA at 0.2 ng/kg body weight/day based on the latest scientific data.
Due to the new TDI setting, the specific migration limit (SML) of 0.05 mg/kg for BPA under EU Food Contact Plastic Regulation 10/2011 will no longer apply.
Therefore, DG Sante has decided to prohibit the intentional addition of BPA in all food contact materials, including plastic monomers, coatings and varnishes, inks, adhesives, and rubber.

DG Sante listed several cases of non-intentional addition, including contamination from raw material streams, introduction via vapor phase transfer from other materials, environmental pollution, and other unknown sources.

DG Sante recommends that food contact material manufacturers plan ahead to replace BPA-synthesized polycarbonate or polysulfone, such as using PET, HDPE, PP, and other materials.
For coatings and varnishes, the ban on BPA may affect product shelf life, increasing costs and energy consumption.

The ban is expected to take effect in the spring of 2024, with an 18-month transition period, meaning food contact materials containing BPA will be prohibited from entering the EU market by late 2025 to early 2026.
The industry can apply for an extension of the phase-out period by September 15, 2023.

China allows the use of BPA in plastic resins, coatings and varnishes and their additives, as well as adhesive additives, with an SML of 0.6 mg/kg, and prohibits its use in the production of food contact materials and products specifically for infants and young children.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not set limits on the addition of BPA in food contact materials but prohibits its use in infant food contact materials. In 2022, the FDA began re-evaluating the safety of BPA in food contact materials.