Frequently Asked Questions

What is BPA?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins.

Is BPA Safe?

BPA has been widely studied by researchers and government agencies around the world charged with protecting public health. Regulatory authorities worldwide, including the U.S. FDA, the European Food Safety Authority, the European Union, Health Canada and others, have determined that BPA is safe for use in food contact applications at current exposure levels.

Is BPA safe for use in food containers?

Because it is so widely used, BPA has also been studied extensively. Polycarbonate and epoxy resins made with BPA have been thoroughly tested and deemed safe for use in food and beverage containers by regulatory authorities around the world.

Are BPA exposures from other polycarbonate products, like reusable food and beverage containers, safe too?

Researchers from government agencies, academia and industry worldwide have studied the potential for BPA to migrate from polycarbonate products into foods and beverages. These studies consistently show that the potential migration of BPA into food is extremely low, generally less than 5 parts per billion under conditions typical for uses of polycarbonate products. At this level, a consumer would have to ingest more than 1,300 pounds of food and beverages in contact with polycarbonate plastic every day for an entire lifetime to exceed the safe level of BPA recently set by the European Food Safety Authority.

What is polycarbonate plastic and what types of products are made from polycarbonate?

Polycarbonate is a type of plastic that is clear, lightweight, heat resistant, and shatter resistant. This unique combination of attributes makes polycarbonate an optimal material for a wide variety of applications, many of them involving direct contact with foods and beverages.