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.