By atuna.com
France, and possibly the European Union, want to eliminate the use of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging, and if the ban is passed, it could pose a huge trade barrier for producers of canned. Now BPA is used in the lacquer of most tuna cans.
Recent media reports by Forbes and the UK-based Independent newspaper say several European Union (EU) countries, including authorities in the UK, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Slovenia, have already lodged objections to the ban with the European Commission (EC). The EC has said it does not know where the media got this information.
The ban also faces opposition from the United States. In a February report, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said, “this ban would impact and jeopardize the U.S. processed and other food exports to France.â€
Set to come into effect in 2014, the ban would affect the majority of manufactured, frozen and fresh products, and the USDA particularly highlighted frozen seafood, since it “most likely†has BPA in its packaging.
France proposed the ban last October after its food safety authority, ANSES, conducted a hazard assessment and found Bisphenol A (BPA) could impact human health.
Commonly found in hard plastics and resins used to coat metal cans, the hormone-like chemical has been linked to cancer, infertility, diabetes and obesity. The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, have concluded the use of BPA in food packaging is safe.
Regardless if countries disagree with the ban, the EC said its position is influenced by the EFSA opinion. The EFSA is currently working with ANSES to study its findings.
The European Union, China and Canada have already banned baby bottles that contain BPA, as the chemical is especially harmful to infants when the containers are heated at high temperatures.