Europe’s grip: what EFSA says
In 2023 theEuropean Food Safety Authority (Ephsa) published a new risk assessment on BPA in food.
Experts have drastically lowered the tolerable daily intake (TDI), setting it at 0.2 nanograms per pound of body weight per daya quantity approximately 20 thousand times lower than the previous limit of 4 micrograms/kg/day.
According to Efsa, thecurrent exposure of the European population largely exceeds this new limit and represents a potential health problem for all age groups.
Hence the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2024/3190That prohibits the use of bisphenol A in food contact materials.
The regulation came into force in 2025, but provides for a transition period until 2028 to allow companies to adapt.
Why is it still on the market?
This is not a “regulatory void”, but a transition phase. Companies can continue to place products on the market that already comply with the previous legislation, until stocks run out or in any case within the established deadlines. The result is that, for a few more years, consumers will have to pay attention themselves.
How to reduce exposure to BPA: practical advice
In his speech, Bassetti calls for prudence with simple but concrete indications:
- Limit the consumption of foods in cans or jars that are internally coated.
- Do not heat food in plastic containersespecially in the microwave.
- Prefer glass, steel or ceramic for conservation and cooking.
- Avoid pouring very hot liquids into plastic containers not certified.
To these suggestions we can add other good habits suggested by the scientific community:
- rinse the canned legumes under running water to reduce any residues,
- favor fresh or dried products to be rehydrated,
- reduce contact with thermal paper receipts (wash your hands after handling them).
Extra attention, especially after 40
For women over 40-50, already exposed to natural hormonal changes, exposure to endocrine disruptors is a particularly sensitive issue. Reduce the overall load of substances that interfere with the hormonal system it does not mean being alarmed, but adopting a logic of daily prevention: small gestures repeated over time can make the difference. Bisphenol A is destined to gradually disappear from materials in contact with food. Until then, however, the most powerful choice remains the informed one.
