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What\u2019s new: <\/strong>January 20, 2026 marks the first-year anniversary of the European Union\u2019s (EU) ban on most uses of bisphenol A (BPA)<\/a> \u2014 an industrial chemical that\u2019s commonly used in household plastics and food packaging. The 2025 regulation<\/a>, which includes an 18-month phase-out, prohibits the use of BPA in several food contact materials including plastics, coatings, varnishes, inks and adhesives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU\u2019s decision to ban most BPA uses is supported by the 2023 European Food Safety Authority\u2019s (EFSA) risk assessment<\/a>, which found that the amount of BPA that\u2019s safe for daily human consumption is 20,000 times<\/em> less than what its 2015 assessment had found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why it matters:<\/strong> EFSA\u2019s latest risk assessment found that BPA exposure could lead to an overactive immune system, causing out-of-control inflammation. BPA has also been linked to disruptions of the endocrine system, harming reproduction and inhibiting learning and memory. Research has shown that<\/a> the immune system is most sensitive to BPA exposure, which can cause disruptions that weaken it and make the body more vulnerable to disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Americans face similar widespread<\/a> exposure to BPA in their daily lives as EU residents did before last year\u2019s ban. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that approximately 95% of Americans tested have BPA in their bodies, with children facing the highest levels. BPA has been detected in blood, urine, sweat, amniotic fluid and breast milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2022, EDF and our allies submitted a <\/a>food additive petition<\/a> asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to 1) limit BPA in food by revoking approvals for using it in adhesives and can coatings and 2) set strict limits on using BPA in plastic that contacts food. FDA has not yet made a decision<\/a> on our petition, despite a legally-mandated 180-day deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our take: <\/strong>While Europe moves forward, the FDA has <\/a> still not taken substantive action. That inaction is a decision. It means BPA continues to be allowed in the foods American families eat every day. It\u2019s been 1,320 days since the agency filed our petition. The delay continues to put our health at risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Maricel Maffini is an independent consultant focused on human and environmental health and chemical safety. For more on the dangers of BPA in food, check out the video below.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n