Sweden Bans BPA in Food Packaging Coatings and Linings for Children Under 3

After the Swedish Ministry of Environment announced restrictive measures in May 2012, Sweden has now formally issued a regulation extending its bisphenol A (BPA) ban to coatings and linings used in food packaging for children under 3. With this step, Sweden becomes the fifth EU member state to prohibit BPA in specific materials or products through a decree.

The regulation, published as SFS 2012:991 in the Swedish Code of Statutes (SFS), prohibits BPA in coatings and linings of food packaging for children under 3. It amends food regulation 2006:813 and takes effect on July 1, 2013. The Swedish Ministry of Environment had announced plans for such measures in May 2012. With the new measures approved, Sweden follows Austria, Belgium, Denmark and France as the fifth EU member state to impose some form of BPA ban on specific materials and/or products.

BPA is an estrogen-like substance that can significantly disrupt the human endocrine system and may lead to cardiovascular, intestinal and reproductive disorders. Long-term exposure to BPA-containing products may pose serious risks to the growth and development of infants and children.

Current EU and member-state rules show a clear tightening trend on BPA: EU Regulation 10/2011 caps BPA in food contact materials at 0.6 mg/kg; EU Regulation 321/2011 bans BPA in polycarbonate baby bottles for children under 1; Austria prohibits BPA in pacifiers and teething gel products; Denmark and Belgium ban BPA in food contact materials and articles for children under 3; and France bans BPA in food contact materials and articles for children under 3, with a full ban on all food contact materials and articles from January 1, 2015.

Food contact products are one of Ningbo's distinctive industries. Statistics show that Ningbo exported 28,300 batches of food contact products in 2012, valued at more than USD 471 million, up 20.94% and 14.32% year on year respectively. With BPA bans becoming stricter, Ningbo exporters need to pay close attention.

Inspection and quarantine authorities recommend that relevant companies take three steps: first, keep tracking new developments in such foreign regulations and maintain close communication with customers to stay informed; second, improve processes and formulations, strictly control raw material quality, and choose more environmentally friendly and healthier materials for infant and child products; third, strengthen communication with inspection and quarantine departments, actively seek guidance on new foreign laws and regulations, cooperate with product inspections, and ensure the quality and safety of exports to avoid unnecessary losses from notifications and recalls.

Source: China Packaging Network (pack.cn); original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-361910.html