Denmark bans BPA in children’s food packaging

From 1 July 2010, sales of infant feeding bottles, feeding cups and packaging for baby food containing BPA will be banned.

The ban comes after the Danish government asked the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Food) to asses whether small doses of BPA can harm the development of the nervous system or the behaviour of new born rats.

“Danish experts say there is no clear evidence that bisphenol A has harmful effects on the behaviour observed,” said Henrik Høegh, the Danish minister of food. “However, the experts find that the new studies raise uncertainties about whether even small amounts of bisphenol A have an impact on the learning capacity of new-born rats.”

Høegh admits the findings may be a matter of coincidence and says there is a need for further studies to be carried out.

The announcement comes only weeks after France said it is considering a ban. Last month, the French Senate said it wanted a temporary ban to be introduced until the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) has finished developing a new method for evaluating BPA.

In the UK, a group of scientists have called for a BPA ban in a letter to national newspaper The Independent. Industry association the British Plastics Federation (BPF) later denounced the claims, saying “public exposure to bisphenol A through plastics products has been wildly exaggerated in this week's media”.

However, the Danish Plastics Federation (DPF) is against the temporary ban, saying it is extremely difficult for non-scientists to assess the significance of research. The Danish government should reverse its decision if the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gives the chemical the all clear in its upcoming verdict, says the DPF.

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