The chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) commonly found in food and drinks containers and babies bottles is to be banned in Europe. The European Commission has announced the ban will come into effect from June 2011.
Some big-name brands have already started voluntarily phasing out the use of BPA in their baby bottles, after research suggested the chemical could cause developmental, fertility and immune system problems. It has also been linked to cancer.
“When you put liquids into a bottle – particularly hot or fatty liquids – it (BPA) leaches out of the plastic,” explained Belinda Phipps, from the National Childbirth Trust, the charity which has been campaign for a ban. “As the bottle gets older and it gets more scratched, more and more leaches out and into the liquid,” she continued.
Until the ban comes into place, check the back of bottles and packaging for “BPA-free” labelling.
