The French Agency for Food Health Safety (ANSES) has urged the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to classify BPA as a reprotoxic substance.
Currently, BPA is classified under category 2 substance, which means suspected reprotoxicity. However, ANSES wants this to be classified as category 1, meaning that it is hazardous.
ANSES said after its own assessment and several researches published since 2002, it has drafted the proposal seeking revision of BPA classification, reported Foodproductiondaily.com.
The French agency said BPA should be called reprotoxic based on its observed effects on the fertility and on the male and female reproductive systems of animals, which have been supported by epidemiological studies in humans.
"Classification in category 1 would directly require the application of more stringent regulatory measures, including the obligation to implement reinforced preventive measures for professional uses of bisphenol A (primarily substitution), and a ban on marketing authorisation for mixtures containing bisphenol A intended for use by consumers," said ANSES.
This month, the French Senate is expected to pass a bill banning use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food packages. If the bill becomes a law, it would ban production, import, export, and distribution of any food packaging containing BPA from 1 January 2014, the report said.
