On April 26, 2016, the European Food Safety Authority ("EFSA") announced that it would be conducting a study for the potential effects of Bisphenol A ("BPA") on the immune system. The announcement followed the publication of a report by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment ("RIVM") that specifically raised concerns on the effects of BPA on the immune systems of fetuses and young children. BPA is a chemical that is frequently used to manufacture plastics and resins to make food containers such as returnable beverage bottles, infant feeding bottles, tableware, and storage containers. BPA can migrate in small amounts into food and beverages.
In December 2014, EFSA's expert Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavorings and Processing Aids ("CEF Panel") reduced the tolerable daily intake for BPA from 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (µg/kg bw/day) to 4 µg/kg bw/day, and determined that BPA posed no health risk to consumers of any age group at current exposure levels. The new RIVM report critically examines two studies describing pre- and perinatal effects of BPA on the immune system that were unpublished when EFSA reviewed the available scientific literature for its 2014 risk assessment of BPA. The RIVM report recommends supporting research on alternatives to BPA and advises consumers to reduce exposure to food and other sources that may contain BPA. EFSA aims to issue a statement in the next few months.
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