Belgium has become the fourth European Union (EU) member state to stop the use of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in containers which come into contact with food. Belgium joins Austria, Denmark and France in limiting the use of BPA which has been shown to negatively affect the brain and nervous system in humans, particularly children.
The French ban will come into force in stages. Beginning in 2013, BPA must be eliminated from food packaging aimed at children up to the age of three. From 2015, BPA will be illegal in any other type of packaging which comes into contact with food.
Unlike other packaging materials, glass does not contain any BPA. In fact, glass is still the only packaging material which is exempt from BPA legislation and EU regulations on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances (REACH).
