The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has declared the use of plastics ingredient (BPA), safe to consumers even in food packaging after re-evaluation. Re-evaluation followed widespread concern about the effects of BPA on reproductive systems and hormones. Reevaluation studies by EFSA scientists showed significant differences between humans and rodents in exposure effects, notably that people metabolise and excrete BPA far faster, limiting the relevance of previous mice tests.
EFSA has set a comprehensive level, rather than the existing temporary 'tolerable daily intake' (TDI) level, and concluded that contamination of food and drinks from bottles and cans containing BPA is so slight that: "People's dietary exposure to BPA, including that of infants and children, is estimated to be well below the new TDI": 0.05 milligram/kg bodyweight/day.
This is actually more liberal than the previous temporary TDI of 0.01 milligram/kg/day of bodyweight, which was set deliberately low (in 2002) because of a lack of knowledge about BPA's effects.
BPA is used to produce polycarbonate and epoxy-phenolic resins. Polycarbonate is used in infant feeding bottles; tableware (plates, mugs, jugs, beakers); microwave ovenware; storage containers; returnable water; and milk bottles, and refillable water containers. Epoxy-phenolic resins are internal protective linings for food; beverage cans and coat metal lids for glass jars and bottles; surface-coatings on residential drinking water storage tanks; and vine vats.
EFSA has also declared safe using polyethylene glycol as a film coating agent for food supplement products, mainly capsules. It says estimated daily intakes of these polyethylene glycols products are below previously allocated safety levels of 0-10 mg/kg bodyweight/day.
08-Feb-07 
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