BfR updates its answers on bisphenol A: the ban in food contact materials is checked with a method detecting 1 µg/kg, a draft monitoring recommendation calls for tracing the source above 10 µg/kg in food
On 7 September 2026 Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) published a thoroughly revised set of questions and answers on bisphenol A (BPA) in everyday products, replacing the version of 13 July 2023. It covers, among other things, the ban under Regulation (EU) 2024/3190, analytical requirements and planned monitoring.
- The BPA use ban under Regulation (EU) 2024/3190 covers adhesives, rubbers, ion-exchange resins, plastics, printing inks, silicones, varnishes and coatings; it does not cover paper and board. A general transition period of 18 months applies, 36 months for certain uses, partly with a 12-month sell-off period; during this time the previous limits apply, e.g. migration from plastics up to 50 µg/kg of food.
- Under Article 9 of Regulation 2024/3190, checking that a material does not contain or release BPA uses a method developed or recommended by the EU Reference Laboratory for food contact materials; the limit of detection is 1 µg/kg (unless Annex II or the reference laboratory’s method provides otherwise), content is checked by an extraction method, and results are expressed according to Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. Repeat-use articles made with BPA could be placed on the market for the first time until 20 July 2026, professional food production equipment until 20 January 2028, and they may stay on the market until 20 January 2029 at the latest.
- According to BfR, a European Commission committee is discussing a recommendation for monitoring BPA in materials, in migration into food or simulants and in food itself; under the current draft the source of BPA should be clarified where food contains more than 10 µg/kg.
- BfR has started collecting exposure data; first results indicate that for most people dietary BPA intake is below the TDI of 200 ng/kg body weight per day used by BfR, with uncertainty for children and adolescents. In toys the release limit so far was 40 µg/l of sweat or saliva simulant (Directive 2017/898), and since 2020 thermal paper has been subject to a limit of 0.02% by weight.