As of January 1, 2015, in France, no packaging in direct contact with food will contain bisphenol A (BPA). France is the first country to adopt such restrictive legislation with regard to this chemical component long criticized for its toxicity.
With this total ban, all food-grade plastic, plastic bottles and containers, as well as cans, tin cans, baby bottles, cannot contain bisphenol A.
The bottles have already been the subject of special treatment, because the sale and manufacture of baby bottlescontaining BPA has been banned since 2010. This measure was extended (only) last November to feeding bottles used in maternity wards.
With the extension of the measure to all food containers, this is a new step forward. This will apply in the first place from 2013 with packaging for children under 3 years old.
Bisphenol A: what is it exactly?
Several studies have accused bisphenol A of being an endocrine disruptor(in the same way as the phthalates, parabens) capable of modifying the metabolism and promoting infertility, overweight and cardiovascular disease. Other studies have accused it of increasing the risk of hyperactivity and anxiety or worse, of damaging the brain.
