BPA / BPS / Bisphenols

BPA stands for bisphenol A. It's a chemical used to make hard, clear plastic (polycarbonate) and the resin that lines the inside of many metal food cans. BPS and BPF are very similar chemicals brought in as replacements when BPA fell out of favour. They all belong to the 'bisphenol' family and they all behave somewhat similarly in the body.

BPA makes plastic hard, clear, and shatter-resistant — useful for water bottles, food containers, and sports equipment. The epoxy resin form is used to stop metal cans from corroding when they hold acidic foods like tomatoes or beans. Without the lining, the can would rust into the food.

BPA, BPS, BPF, bisphenol A, bisphenol S, bisphenol F, polycarbonate, epoxy resin. On plastic items, the recycling number '7' often (not always) means it contains polycarbonate. 'BPA-free' tells you about BPA only — it doesn't tell you whether BPS or BPF replaced it.

Canned food and drinks, plastic food containers, some reusable water bottles (older ones especially), plastic cups and plates, and thermal paper receipts. Less common in personal care and clothing.

Mainly through food and drinks. BPA migrates from can linings and plastic containers into the food they hold — especially when the food is acidic, fatty, or heated. Small amounts also absorb through skin contact with thermal receipts (the slippery paper from many cash registers).

BPA is an endocrine disruptor — it mimics oestrogen at low doses. Studies have linked higher BPA exposure during pregnancy to outcomes including changes in fetal development, and there are ongoing studies on miscarriage risk and gestational diabetes. The strongest case for action is during pregnancy.

Research links higher BPA exposure to reduced sperm quality and altered reproductive hormones in some studies, with mixed but real signals. Adult effects at everyday exposure levels look small but plausible.

Higher concern because their bodies are developing and they have less body weight to dilute exposure. This is why baby bottles and sippy cups with BPA were banned in many countries — the worst-case use was infants drinking heated milk from polycarbonate bottles, which leached more BPA into the milk.

Less studied. Some research looks at links to metabolic effects, cardiovascular markers, and type 2 diabetes. Not the highest-priority group for action.

The strongest evidence is for endocrine activity (oestrogen-mimicking) and reproductive effects during sensitive windows. EFSA reduced its tolerable daily intake for BPA dramatically in 2023 based on immune effects — the new threshold is many thousand times lower than the old one, which is why the EU then banned it in food-contact materials.

If you're not pregnant, not trying to conceive, and not feeding babies, the day-to-day risk from occasional canned food is low. The practical issue is that exposure is cumulative and many of us hit it from multiple directions (cans, plastic containers, heated takeout, receipts). Lowering the baseline is easy here.

Glass containers, stainless steel water bottles, and ceramic for food storage and heating. Fresh or frozen food is lower in bisphenols than canned. For canned food, brands that use BPA-free linings without BPS or BPF substitutes are best — Eden Foods is one widely-cited example, but check current labelling. Decline thermal paper receipts when offered.

Easy. The two highest-impact moves — stop heating food in plastic, and switch to glass or stainless steel containers — cost little and take minutes. Reducing canned food is harder if you rely on it, but going partial (fresh tomatoes instead of canned for sauce) makes a real difference.

Move leftovers to glass or ceramic before microwaving. That single change cuts a major source of bisphenol migration. Cost: zero — most kitchens already have glass containers.

BPA-free isn't enough on its own — the replacements (BPS, BPF) may behave similarly. Don't chase perfection. Focus on the two highest-leverage actions: glass for hot food and reducing reliance on canned. Strongest priority during pregnancy and for babies and young kids.

FDA on BPA, ECHA on bisphenol A as a substance of very high concern, EFSA's 2023 BPA reassessment, NIEHS, and CDC biomonitoring data. See References below.