The consultation was launched on 2 October, and is open until 24 December 2025.

This consultation applies to England, Northern Ireland (NI) and Wales, and the FSA is seeking views on a proposed ban on the use of:

  • Bisphenol A (BPA)
  • Other bisphenols (BPS, BPF)
  • Bisphenol derivatives

in FCMs (i.e. materials and articles that are intended to be, or can reasonably be expected to be, brought into contact with food and drink products).

In Scotland, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) launched an equivalent consultation on the 27 October, that is open until 16 January 2026. This is a UK four nation commitment working together to establish a Food and Feed Safety and Hygiene Common framework, as this is a devolved area of legislation.

The rationale for the ban is to reduce public exposure to these chemicals and protect public health from alleged impacts on the endocrine, reproductive and immune systems. The provisions could affect food-production equipment coming into contact with food and drink, as well as packaging and other FCMs (such as containers, kitchenware, varnishes and coatings) intended for consumer-use.

The consultation invites the public to provide their views on the proposal, and to also provide other evidence-based approaches that would provide similar public health protection. There are also questions regarding the practical implementation of a ban, including transition periods and exemptions.

BPA has been somewhat controversial in the context of food-contact use for some time, having been banned in France since 2015, with several examples of French authorities seeking to enforce against imports into the French market, which did not comply with the local law.

The proposed UK ban would bring closer alignment with the EU Regulation 2024/3190 of 19 December 2024 on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) and other bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives with harmonised classification for specific hazardous properties in certain materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (EU Bisphenols Regulation).

The EU Bisphenols Regulation prohibits the use and trade of BPA, its salts and other hazardous bisphenols and hazardous bisphenol derivatives in a range of food contact materials, including adhesives, rubbers, plastics, varnishes, coating, ion-exchange resins and printing inks. It has been in force since 20 January 2025, although there is a longer transition period for certain specific uses, for instance for repeat-use final food contact articles manufactured using BPA, as well as limited exemptions for the use of BPA and conditional derogations for the use of hazardous bisphenols other than BPA.

A closer alignment could help to ensure a similar level of public health protection across borders, which is particularly noteworthy, as the EU Bisphenols Regulation is applicable in NI under the Windsor Framework.

The consultation is proposing a similar transition end date to the EU to support transition and minimise disruption.

Food business operators and packaging businesses supplying onto the UK market should carefully consider the proposals under the consultation, and assess whether there are safe alternatives available where FCMs contain BPA or other bisphenols that will be within the scope of the ban. Representations could helpfully be made in response to the consultation in relation to implementation timelines and exemptions/derogations if there are no safe alternatives. Please contact us if support is required to understand the potential implication of this ban for your business.