Stéphane Bayen, an Associate Professor in McGill University’s Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, recently led a study that sounded alarms over the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) substitutes. These replacements aren’t only used in food packaging, either. The research, published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, reveals that label-printing chemicals such as bisphenol S (BPS) are leaching into food from plastic wrap, prompting concerns about the integrity of BPA-free packaging.
Among other things, the study emphasizes that BPS is just one of over 200 replacements for BPA. In Canada, BPA has been banned in baby bottles and restricted in polycarbonate products due to health concerns. The results point to the alarming possibility that these replacements are not a safer replacement. BPS, along with other BPA replacements like TGSA, D-8 and PF-201, have all been shown to disrupt gene expression. As has been shown in lab-grown human ovarian cells Tilly et al.
Bayen originally began the investigation, looking at BPA and its alternatives. This research showed that just because a packaging says it’s BPA-free doesn’t mean it’s safe. Our findings indicate that these substitutes readily migrate into food from their packaging substrates. This leads to some serious questions about consumer protection under existing regulations.
“Just because we disrupt them does not demonstrate harm in humans. It certainly is a call to action that we need to study these chemicals more closely,” said Bernard Robaire, Ph.D., senior author, stressing the need for continued research into their potentially harmful effects on our health.
The study’s implications are important because they point out a major lack in regulatory actions regarding BPA substitutes. Our current regulations are not doing enough to protect consumers from the potential dangers these chemicals can present. In response to growing consumer demand, the food industry is quickly shifting to BPA-free products. This study is an important reminder that just because a product is labeled BPA-free does not mean it is safe.
