On December 20, the European Commission (EC) announced a ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in materials that come into contact with food and beverages.
EU issues new ban
In a quick exchange with reporters from the Industry and Trade Newspaper on the morning of December 22, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy - Director, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden, concurrently in charge of the Northern European market, said that the ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical harmful to human health, in materials in contact with food and beverages poses a big challenge for export enterprises, including Vietnam, when exporting products to the EU market.
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| The ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) will affect agricultural and food exports to the EU (Illustration photo) |
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy, Bisphenol A (BPA), commonly used in plastics and resins, is present in many products such as coatings on metal cans; reusable plastic bottles; water coolers and other kitchen utensils.
BPA has been banned in products for babies and young children, such as baby bottles and nipples, since 2011. Now the ban has expanded to include many other types of products, requiring companies to adjust their materials and manufacturing processes to comply.
“ Maintaining high food safety standards in the EU and protecting citizens is one of the Commission's top priorities ,” said EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi.
The ban follows a 2023 opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which found that dietary exposure to BPA posed a health concern for all age groups. EFSA reduced the tolerable daily intake (TDI) to approximately 20,000 times lower than the previous limit in 2015.
BPA is classified as a hazardous chemical by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) because it can cause serious eye damage; allergic skin reactions; respiratory irritation; hormone disruption; and damage to fertility and the reproductive system. Exposure to BPA, even at low doses, can lead to serious problems such as reduced sperm count, genital malformations in male children, and increased risk of hormone-sensitive cancers.
The Commission announced that, for most products, there will be an 18-month transition period to allow industries to adapt and avoid disruption to food supply chains, except in limited cases where there is no viable alternative.
Previously, on 12 June 2024, EU Member States agreed to the European Commission's proposal to ban most types of Bisphenol A (BPA) and other bisphenols in food contact materials. For the proposal to become EU law, the European Parliament and the Council need to approve it further.
The decision comes after decades of scientific warnings about the health effects of some bisphenols. The safeguards are urgently needed. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), current levels of public exposure to Bisphenol A exceed safe levels. Meanwhile, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) estimates that the use of more than 30 other bisphenols needs to be restricted because of their negative health effects.
Bisphenol is a chemical widely used in the production of plastics and resins. Of these, Bisphenol A is the most common and well-studied, known to be toxic to reproduction and an endocrine disruptor, with adverse effects on human health and the environment. For this reason, BPA has been included in the list of hazardous chemicals (REACH list of substances of very high concern).
What should Vietnamese export enterprises pay attention to?
In response to the new EU regulations, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy noted that Vietnamese enterprises exporting food packaging, beverages, and related products to the EU need to pay special attention to the raw material inspection stage to ensure that BPA is not used in any products that come into contact with food.
In addition, update production processes, seek BPA alternatives that meet EU standards.
Regarding quality certification, it is necessary to prepare full documents to prove that the product complies with the new EU regulations when exporting. In particular, it is necessary to work closely with importers to update the new requirements.
This move not only demonstrates the EU’s commitment to protecting citizens’ health and ensuring food safety, but also serves as a reminder to exporters of the importance of complying with strict standards when entering the EU market. Timely adaptation not only helps protect the reputation of Vietnamese products but also opens up greater opportunities in this market.
The EU market is not yet a large export market for Vietnamese food and beverages, but it is a market with significant prospects, especially in high-value and organic market segments in the context of Vietnamese agricultural and food exports having many tariff advantages in the EVFTA Agreement.
At the international conference with the theme "Market trends and opportunities for exporting Vietnamese agricultural products and processed foods to international distribution systems" organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Ho Chi Minh City last June, Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Belgium and the EU Tran Ngoc Quan said that each year the EU imports more than 160 billion USD of agricultural products and foods, but agricultural products and foods from Vietnam only account for about 4% of that.
This shows that there is a lot of room to increase the market share of Vietnamese agricultural products and processed foods here. However, the EU is a market with high demands on quality, food safety and hygiene, residue control and regular updates of import regulations.
“Therefore, to boost agricultural and food exports to the EU, Vietnamese businesses must regularly update market information and increase their ability to meet the criteria of sustainable production - transportation - consumption, ” said Mr. Tran Ngoc Quan.
Source: https://congthuong.vn/eu-cam-bpa-trong-vat-lieu-tiep-xuc-thuc-pham-do-uong-doanh-nghiep-xuat-khau-viet-nam-ung-pho-ra-sao-365594.html
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