It was recently announced that the European Union would ban the toxic chemical bisphenol A, better known as BPA, Hogan Lovells reported.
The ban was adopted in late 2024, officially being implemented in January 2025, but has taken 20 years of research to fully culminate.
According to Euro News, "BPA has already been banned in products intended for infants and young children, such as baby bottles, since 2011." This shows the government's clear understanding of BPAs' ability to harm, though the new ban on the chemical goes the extra mile, keeping it completely out of the production of food products.
Since the 1950s, BPA has been used in the making of plastic and resins, per the Mayo Clinic. As is true with plastic in general, the material and its chemical makeup have the capacity to seep into food and drink products, and thus into your body.
While years of studies on BPA have shown its clear link to hormonal issues, per Medical News Today, making it an "endocrine disruptor," according to the Environmental Protection Agency, increasing negative research continues to be published.
Recently, a study from China's Tianjin University on mice showed that BPA impacted the mice's behavior and impeded their ability to regulate dopamine. Other studies have shown links between the chemical and heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
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The Conversation reported on the recent ban in an article shared on Phys.org, explaining that aside from the omission of BPA in food products, for single-use and reusable food containers, "Transition periods (between 18 and 36 months, depending on the product) are established for the law's application." As the chemical is more fully phased out, healthier human life can be expected.
Pushback on the ban includes the belief that the harmful chemical may end up replaced with other problematic chemicals, only with less research surrounding their effects, per ChemTrust. While the hesitation is warranted, the process of keeping our bodies safe is propelled by research. As more comes in, more changes can be implemented.
"This preventative environmental legislation based on scientific data will reduce impacts on people and the environment," the Conversation said. "The attitude is one of 'better safe than sorry.'"
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