BPA free is a marketing claim that has outrun its science. When BPA was removed from polycarbonate baby bottles and water containers, the industry substituted related bisphenols, chiefly BPS and BPB, which share the same endocrine-active structure while sitting outside the original restriction. This guide explains what that means for a buyer sourcing plastic housewares.
What the restriction actually says
The EU banned BPA in polycarbonate infant feeding bottles in 2011 and has since restricted BPA in a wider list of food contact materials, with migration limits and specific restrictions for varnishes and coatings. The United States has taken a different route, with the FDA maintaining that BPA is safe at current exposure levels while several states have banned it in specific product categories.
None of these regimes restricts BPS to the same degree, which is precisely why manufacturers moved to it. The regulatory gap, not a safety verdict, is why BPS became the default substitute.
The chemistry does not disappear
BPS and BPB are bisphenols: they share the two-phenol structure that gives the family its clarity and heat resistance, and they share a measurable affinity for estrogen receptors in laboratory studies. The dose at which this matters in human exposure is contested, and the honest position for a manufacturer is that the substitutes are less studied, not proven safer.
Where BPA still hides
- Polycarbonate is still used for refillable bottles and some food containers, and PC is the polymer that requires BPA in its synthesis.
- Epoxy can coatings on metal food cans are a BPA route that has nothing to do with plastics.
- Thermal paper receipts are a major exposure route outside the kitchen entirely.
- Recycled content in food contact articles is a contamination risk, because the input stream cannot be guaranteed BPA-free.
What an honest claim looks like
- Name the substances tested for: BPA, BPS, BPF and BPB, with the method and detection limit.
- State the material, because the risk profile of a PP bowl and a PC bottle is different by construction.
- Provide the migration test on the finished article rather than a resin letter, since additives and colourants can reintroduce bisphenols.
- Avoid absolute claims like completely free of all bisphenols unless every input has been tested, including the masterbatch and any coating.
The practical sourcing answer
For infant feeding and food storage, the cleanest decision is to move away from polycarbonate entirely: PP, Tritan where clarity is needed, or silicone for soft parts. These materials never required BPA in the first place, so the claim becomes structural rather than a promise about processing.
Related reading
Our mother and baby feeding range is moulded in PP and platinum-cured silicone, and the material guides explain what food grade PP actually certifies.
