Bottle, teether, can… UFC-Que Choisir wants to ban all bisphenols

In France, the use of bisphenol A is prohibited on all food packaging. However, other bisphenols are used instead. It is about the latter that the UFC-Que Choisir is sounding the alarm this Wednesday. The association calls for its ban.

According to her, these chemicals are just as dangerous to health as bisphenol A, especially for young children.

endocrine disruptors

Bisphenols are widely used in the manufacture of everyday plastic objects such as textiles, can linings, and toys.

UFC-Que Choisir, also based on studies carried out by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) or the European Food Agency (Efsa), warns of the risks of these chemical substances in terms of endocrine disruption “with serious potential risks for the human health (abortions, sexual and reproductive dysfunctions, cognitive delays…)”.

danger for babies

The UFC-Que Choisir found the presence of these compounds in baby gourds or sippy cups or in teethers.

“These are at increased risk as babies may chew on them throughout the day,” the association writes.

“Alors that perturbateurs endocriniens are more particularly nocifs aux early states of development of children, it is scandalous that of trop nombreux fabricants n’aient pas encore pris de mesures à la hauteur des potentiels risques induits par ces composés”, dénonce-t- she.

In addition, the UFC-Que Choisir warns about “food products consumed by the mother.”

“Bisphenols are still widely used in the plastic linings of food containers,” the experts explain, citing in particular food and soft drink cans.

Prohibition “even in trace”

The consumer association regrets the “particularly lax” European regulations on the matter, “since it is content to ban bisphenol A only in products intended for babies, ignoring food packaging.”

In France, bisphenol A is banned, but the UFC-Que Choisir is campaigning to ban all other bisphenols used as a substitute. “Regulations allow for significant levels of presence, while the ability of endocrine disruptors to act at very low doses would justify a ban even at minimal levels,” she concludes.