Denmark has introduced a temporary ban on bisphenol A (BPA) in all food contact materials for young children amid fears the chemical could inhibit brain development. The Government has imposed the ban for children aged 0-3 as a precautionary measure after its food safety experts raised concerns that low-level exposure to the substance may inhibit learning capacity. From 1 July, 2010, it will be illegal to sell infant feeding bottles, feeding cups & packaging for baby food containing BPA. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture & Fisheries announced a 3m transition period to allow current stocks of children's food packaging to be "marketed." Henrik Hoegh, the Minister of Food, said research from the National Food Inst at the Tech University of Denmark had not found any clear evidence that bisphenol A had harmful effects on the behaviour observed in new born rats. "However, the experts find that the new studies raise uncertainties about whether even small amounts of bisphenol A have an impact on the learning capacity of new-born rats," added Hoegh. "In my opinion these uncertainties must benefit the consumers, so we will utilize the precautionary principle to introduce a national ban on bisphenol A in materials in contact with food for children aged 0-3 years." "The national ban, labelled as temporary, will remain in place for children aged three and under until new studies document that low doses of bisphenol A do not have an impact on development of the nervous system or on the behaviour of rats," said a Government statement. The ban, includes feeding bottles, feeding cups and materials in contact with food aimed at children aged 0-3 years. It also covers those materials in the Danish order on breast milk substitutes and mixed substitutes for babies and young children (No 1504 dated 13 December 2007) and the order on manufactured food for young children and babies (No 355 dated 17 June 1998).
